


Hyuga Cestus

by sharinnegan101



Category: God of War, Naruto
Genre: Crossover, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-12
Updated: 2015-03-10
Packaged: 2017-12-23 06:23:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 26,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/923050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sharinnegan101/pseuds/sharinnegan101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hinata has always wanted to prove herself to Naruto, but her opportunity might be her toughest fight yet, and the weapons involved are like nothing she's ever seen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata has always wanted to prove herself to Naruto, but a shinobi must be careful what she wishes for...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following is a fanfictional story. I do not own Naruto or God of War. Please don't sue, I can't afford it.

Ever since she had been a little girl, Hinata Hyuga had always had feelings for Naruto, but she worried constantly about his feelings for her: Did he like her? Did he think she was strong? How often did he think of her? During Naruto's two-year training trip with Jiraiya, Hinata had spent most of her time training as well, either with her family, her friends, or herself. She wanted to prove to everyone (especially a certain blonde-haired boy,) that she was a powerful, but kind, shinobi. And so, when Tsunade assigned her a mission with Naruto, Hinata was thrilled, as it would give her many opportunities to show him how much her abilities had matured.

Naruto and Hinata were summoned to Tsunade's office, where a huge map of the Hidden Leaf Village's surrounding landscape covered most of the Hokage's desk.

"During the past month, 16 shinobi have been mysteriously disappearing one-by-one," informed Tsunade, "They were last reported to be in the Fourth Training Ground." She pointed at a spot located several miles from the village. "The Fourth Training Ground consists of a heavily wooded area which is directly next to a steep set of cliffs. I've heard that there's a small amphitheater someplace in the Training Ground, but I don't know for certain."

"An amfa-what?" asked Naruto, his tone slightly dense.

"A-an amphitheater," muttered Hinata, "It's a type of stage used for performances."

"Oh," said Naruto, nodding his head in thought. "You're pretty smart, Hinata!" (Hinata's face turned slightly red.)

"As I was saying," continued Tsunade, "I'm sending you two into the Fourth Training Ground for a reconnaissance mission. There will be a lot of ground to cover, so I expect you two will be in there for a while, perhaps even days. I've made sure that the Training Grounds are empty of any Leaf Ninja, so you'll both be alone."

Hinata started to blush again. Alone with Naruto? She hadn't given much thought as to how long the mission would last.

Tsunade continued, "If either of you see any suspicious activity, the two of you will immediately pull out and report back to me."

"WHAT?!" yelled Naruto, "You want us to retreat?! But why?"

Tsunade let out a brief sigh. She had known that Naruto wouldn't like having to fall back.

"Because," she answered in an agitated tone, "Whatever's in that forest has caused over a dozen of my finest jonin to disappear! They could've been killed for all we know, and if this mysterious threat could kill 16 powerful jonin, think of what it could do to a genin and a chunin."

"You know that I'm stronger than any genin!" exclaimed Naruto, "I'm certain that Hinata and I can easily defeat whatever's out there!"

Hinata wasn't so sure. Of the 16 jonin that had gone missing, 3 of them had been Hyugas. She had known them, and had even trained with them. They were all very strong, and one of them, Takuma Hyuga (not to be confused with the similarly named Tokuma Hyuga), had been almost as tough as her genius cousin, Neji. If whatever was out there could have defeated Takuma, then she had her doubts about how well she could prevail.

"Believe me," said Tsunade in a very impatient tone, "If there were any stronger shinobis available, I would have launched an all out assault, but due to the recent disappearances of 16 of my best jonin, my forces have been stretched out thin. Therefore, you will either go to the Training Ground, identify the threat, and report back to me without engaging the enemy, or you will clean out Tonton's silo, which, I might add, hasn't been done in months!"

Naruto sighed. "All right," he said, "We won't fight whoever's out there."

"Good!" huffed Tsunade, "You are both dismissed!"

"Man, this sucks," whined Naruto as he and Hinata headed out toward the Fourth Training Ground, "Grandma Tsunade knows we're tough enough to fight anything that comes our way!"

"But Naruto," said Hinata in a soft voice, "We don't know what's out there. For all we know, what we're dealing with could be really strong."

"You sound like Grandma-Tsunade," said Naruto. "Hinata, take it from me. No matter what force you're up against, you just need to have faith in yourself, and your beliefs."

"But what about working hard and training diligently?" asked Hinata.

"Don't get me wrong," replied Naruto. "Effort and great ability can get you far. I know that I've had to work hard. But to believe in yourself, as well as those who are close to you, that is true strength, and that's what has brought us this far. Speaking of which, I think we're here."

Hinata had been so captivated by Naruto's speech that she hadn't noticed, and proceeded to trip and fall into a bush.

"And by the way," laughed Naruto as he helped a very red Hinata out of the brush, "It also doesn't hurt to pay attention."

Dang, this is lame, thought Naruto as he leapt from tree to tree. He and Hinata had arrived at the Fourth Training Ground a few hours ago, and had decided to split up in their search. Naruto had even sent out some shadow clones to help comb the area for any suspicious activity. So far, everything seemed fine.

I can't believe Grandma-Tsunade is having me do a mission as boring as this, thought Naruto. Is she still mad about the time I tripped and my hands fell on her-

He stopped in mid-thought. Something had happened to one his shadow clones. Based on what the shadow clone had experienced, he remembered hearing some leaves rustle behind him. When he had turned around, he had had just enough time to register what was coming at him before he had been forced to vanish by the impact. What was most strange was what had struck the clone. Before vanishing, he could have sworn he'd seen...A lion's head?

Tsunade's orders had been to investigate the Training Ground and report back to her without confronting the threat. That said, he instantly headed toward the area where the shadow clone had dissipated. He would show the Hokage how powerful he was.

And besides, thought Naruto as he landed near the area where his clone had been attacked, How tough can this b-

He never got to finish his thought.

When Naruto's shadow clones suddenly vanished all at once, Hinata began to worry. (She could easily see some of the clones with her Byakugan.) Naruto and Hinata had agreed to meet back at the entrance to the Fourth Training Ground should either of them discover something. So, she headed over to the entrance. Eventually, Hinata made it back to the clearing, but Naruto wasn't there, which caused Hinata to worry even more. She hoped that Naruto hadn't gotten himself into any serious trouble.

Lady Tsunade said not to confront the enemy, thought Hinata. He wouldn't really disobey a direct order from the Hokage...Would he?

Hinata tried to calm herself. Naruto's probably still on his way. I'm sure he'll be here any minute now. I just need to wait.

But half an hour later, Naruto still wasn't back, and Hinata was panicking. It seemed that Naruto was indeed in trouble, and that meant that she should go and inform Tsunade. But Naruto could be in danger! What should I do?! It barely took her a moment to decide. Seconds later, Hinata was leaping from tree to tree, her Byakugan scanning the area for any signs of Naruto.

Two hours later, Hinata felt completely terrified. She had looked through the forest, calling out Naruto's name, until she had been forced to cancel her Byakugan for fear of draining out her chakra. Now she was lost, alone, and tired.

And Naruto! Hinata buried her head in her hands and finally burst into tears. Morbid images flashed through her head: Naruto's drowned body lying facedown in a stream, Naruto's torn body being picked at by vultures, Naruto's broken body lying at the bottom of a cliff! It was too much! Hinata threw back her head and was about to scream, when she heard something nearby. It sounded like footsteps.

With a newfound sense of hope, Hinata wiped away her tears and headed toward the noise. She was tempted to use her Byakugan, but she was already low on chakra and felt that she should conserve what she had in case of a fight. She soon arrived at the spot where the footsteps had come from. She looked around, but couldn't find anyone. Just as her hopes started to sink, she noticed a thick cluster of bushes start to rustle. She headed over toward the bushes, forcing herself to be cautious and careful.

"Naruto?" she called out, "Is...Is that you?"

A faint voice came from the bushes. "La...ata..."

"Um, sorry? I didn't hear that."

"...dy...Hin..."

"I'm really sorry," said Hinata, looking through the bushes, "But I can't hear yoaAAAAGH!"

Hinata, having just seen what was in the bushes, instinctively leapt back and screamed. Her instincts told her to run, but she made herself stay as the figure in the bushes came out. It was a man, but not like any man Hinata had ever seen before. This man resembled a gaunt skeleton with skin. His lips were barely visible, revealing teeth that had begun to rot without dental care. His limbs were so thin, you could have easily wrapped a finger and thumb around them. He had on a rusty chest plate and spaulders, which seemed to be weighing him down.

But what surprised Hinata most was his face. His eyes were Byakugan, and his forehead had a cursed seal on it. This man was a Hyuga. And the distinct scar on his left cheek. She had seen it before during training. Could it be...

"Takuma?" said Hinata in a hushed voice.

"Lady...Hinata..." replied Takuma weakly. He stumbled, and Hinata grabbed his bony arm to provide support.

"Takuma, what's happened to you?" she asked, laying the weakened man down under a tree.

"Lady Hinata..." croaked Takuma Hyuga, "Why…are you here? You must flee...You're in...terrible danger."

"I can't leave without Naruto," protested Hinata. "Now please, tell me what happened."

It took a moment for Takuma to get his breath back. He had clearly been running for a while.

"About a week ago...I was out training. All of a sudden this...man appeared, and...attacked me."

"What did he look like?"

"He was tall...muscular...had these...gauntlets...I don't know, my memory's gone soft. He beat me within an inch of my life, and then he took me to this...place...locked me in a cage...The cage...It drained my chakra...made me weak...He also made me wear armor...He..." His voice cracked. "He made me fight other leaf-nin for his own amusement..."

"How did you escape?" asked Hinata.

"A few hours ago...The man came back...He had a boy slung over his shoulder. I think it was...Naruto..." (Hinata gasped.) "...Just as he was about to lock him up, Naruto came to...and attacked him. There was a fight, but then Naruto…He tried to free us. He told me to run, and I ran...I ran, and I didn't look back..."

Tears were streaming down Takuma's ruined face. Hinata, however, remained silent. She now knew for a fact that Naruto was in danger. She knew what she had to do.

"Takuma," she said to the sobbing man, "Where is this man?"

"What?" Takuma's eyes widened, "Lady Hinata, you mustn't! You'll get yourself killed!"

"I have to find him," pleaded Hinata, "He has Naruto, and I can't leave him behind."

"But I can't let you do it!" begged Takuma, "Lord Hyuga...He'll have my head if you die! You must go to the Hokage...Tell her what has happened!"

"Takuma," said Hinata in a calm, but firm voice, "I will not leave Naruto. Now please, tell me where he is."

For a moment, Takuma stared at Hinata. It was often joked that if eyes were the windows to your soul, then a Hyuga's must have the curtains drawn, but Takuma could clearly see the determination in Hinata's eyes. It couldn't have been more obvious if it had been written on her face. Arguing with her would be pointless.

"It...It was somewhere on the edge of the forest. It overlooked...a steep set of cliffs."

"Thank you," said Hinata, "Now please, wait here and get some rest."

"Yes, Lady Hinata," said Takuma, resting his head against the tree. Hinata was 20 feet away when he suddenly called out, "Lady Hinata!"

She turned to him expectantly.

"Promise me," he said, "That you'll make it back safe."

Hinata smiled softly at Takuma. "I promise."

Leaving Takuma, Hinata set out toward the forest edge. One way or another, she would find Naruto, no matter what.

Hinata paused. She immediately dropped down from the tree she was on and took cover behind it. Since leaving Takuma, she had spent the past hour skimming the ridge of the forest, looking for any suspicious activity, all the while refusing to believe that Naruto was dead. So far, all she had seen past the thick cluster of trees she was in was a hundred feet of prairie grass overlooking a steep drop-off. The area she was at now had a drop-off of at least a couple hundred feet, but that wasn't what had caught her eye.

What caught her eye was the medium sized building that was overlooking the cliff. It was an ancient structure with a circular base, and it was as tall as a three-story building. There was even a set of giant metal doors, and they were wide open. Hinata suddenly realized that this must have been the amphitheater that Tsunade had mentioned.

Hinata immediately set off towards the building. She didn't even think about scouting ahead with her Byakugan, so anxious was she. She just kept on running until she was past the doors. It was only when the doors suddenly slammed shut behind her that she stopped. She tried the doors. Naturally, they were locked. It was then that she began to realize that she probably shouldn't have rushed things.

Trying her best not to panic, Hinata looked toward the other end of the room. She was in a small passageway with a few doors to either side, and there was a large opening at the end of the passageway that led back outside. Making sure to be cautious this time, she tentatively walked through the other end.

As she stepped out into the open, she found herself in what was clearly the amphitheater stage. The circular floor of the stage that she was standing on was paved in stone. At least a quarter of it jutted out over the cliff, and other than a small balustrade surrounding the precarious area, there was nothing to see but a nice view of the surrounding land. A wall surrounded the rest of the stage with several great marble statues on giant thorns that grew about ten feet high. Behind the wall was a set of bleachers that were elevated so the audience could see past the wall.

Above the alcove that Hinata had entered was a viewing box for special guests. Above that was a giant statue of a sitting man holding a weapon. Chains connected the statue to some of the other statues down below, and looking at them, Hinata realized the chains formed a pulley for numerous sinister-looking cages, which had been strung up along the chains. All but one of the cages was empty, and it was this single occupant that made Hinata gasp.

It was Naruto. Had it not been for the spiky blond hair, she wouldn't have recognized him. His orange outfit was gone. The only thing that he was wearing were his boxers. Cuts and bruises covered his ravaged body, which seemed to have lost 30 pounds. He was thinner, though not as thin as Takuma. But what frightened Hinata most was the look in Naruto's blackened eyes. It was as if his soul was dying. All hope, all happiness, all of it seemed to be replaced by a saddened, despondent look. As she studied him, Hinata thought she could still see some of Naruto's old cockiness, but it was virtually overshadowed by sadness. The unthinkable had happened. Naruto Uzumaki had been broken.

"N...N...Naruto," whispered Hinata.

Naruto, who had been staring off into space, turned weakly toward Hinata. "Hi...na...ta," he croaked. He sounded like he hadn't spoken for weeks. "No...You have to get out of here."

"I won't leave you," said Hinata. Tears started welling up in her eyes, "I'm getting you out!"

"I somehow doubt that," said an unfamiliar voice.

Hinata turned toward the noise, which was coming from the tunnel. It was too dark to see anything, but she could hear something.

Thud.

Thud.

It sounded like footsteps, and that meant someone was coming. Someone huge. Naruto had gone silent. He seemed too worried to speak. Hinata remained still, waiting to see who would come.

Thud.

Thud.

For some unknown reason, the image of a T. Rex popped into Hinata's head. She quickly dispelled the thought though, as the person making the footsteps came out into view.

Hinata gasped. Right in front of her stood the biggest man she had ever seen. This fellow was 12 feet tall and was completely ripped. Muscles covered his body as if he had basketballs under his skin. He was wearing a short toga with leather sandals, as well as shoulder guards that seemed to be made out of giant paws. His most striking piece of apparel was his magnificently scarlet-plumed helm, which was shaped like a lion's head. The only thing on his chest was an ugly claw scar. That and an incredible eight-pack. Not six. Eight. It was that awesome.

The man looked down at Hinata. There was a look of malice in his eyes. "Well now," he spoke, "Who have we here?"

Hinata, who had been too stunned to speak, finally managed to string together a sentence. "I...I...I'm Hinata...Hyuga."

"Well, Hinata Hyuga," replied the man as he spread out his arms, "Welcome to my arena!"

"Y...your...arena?" stammered Hinata.

"That's right," replied the man. "I am Hercules, champion of the Gods, and I have chosen this place as my personal training grounds. For the past month I have been searching for those who would dare trespass on my land. When I find them, I give them a superb display of my strength. Once defeated, they then have the honor of fighting for my amusement."

"They...fight each other?" asked Hinata in a stunned voice.

"Indeed," replied Hercules. He gestured toward the cages. "You see those cages up there? They are made of a special metal that was forged in the depths of Tartarus."

Hinata had no idea what Tartarus was, nor did she want to, for the name gave her chills.

"Those cages," continued Hercules, "Drain all positive emotion and strength from whoever gets locked inside them. It ravages their body as well as their minds, for they rapidly lose weight until they are nothing more than a mindless shell of skin and bones. If locked up for long, they'll start to go mad." Hercules sneered. "It's quite funny to watch, actually."

Hinata stared at the man. All feelings of shock had just been replaced by a new emotion. "You think...it's funny?" she asked in a quiet tone.

"But of course," replied Hercules. "Moaning their heads off as they try to escape. In time, they can't tell their allies from their enemies. So, when they are cracked and ready, I take them out. I give them weapons. I give them armor. Then, I give them opponents."

Hinata gasped "You don't mean..."

"I do," said Hercules. "I have them fight each other to the death. It is also quite fun to watch."

He pointed up at Naruto. "I assume," queried Hercules, "That you came here with this boy?"

"Yes," breathed Hinata.

"I see," mused Hercules. "How interesting. He told me that he had come alone, no matter how much I tortured him."

Hinata felt her heart stop. "You...tortured him?"

"Oh, yes," answered Hercules, "The arrogant boy had it coming, thinking he could beat me, though I'll admit, had he not tried to free the prisoners, he probably would have."

Appreciation for Naruto resurged itself in Hinata. "He tried to save them?"

"He tried," replied Hercules, "When he discovered the effects of the cages, he immediately stole my keys and started freeing the captives. By the time I had managed to subdue him, he had caused half of the prisoners to get away, though I was able to catch all but one. Yes, the boy proved to be more of a handful than I had anticipated. Even now, it's taking a slower amount of time to drain him than the others. I'll admit the child has spirit."

He glared up at Naruto, who returned the look in kind.

"But it does not matter," proclaimed Hercules, "For very soon, I will have enough power to conquer this village that my captives speak of. It is only a shame that you will not live to see it."

Hinata slowly turned her head toward Hercules, her expression unreadable. "And why is that?" she asked in a toneless voice.

"Because," answered Hercules in a confident tone, "I am going to have you killed."

As he spoke, figures appeared behind him. Hinata recognized them as the missing leaf-nin. There condition was just like Takuma's: Skeletal frame, rusted armor, and a hopeless look. The only new things were the swords, spears, and other weapons that they were wielding.

"I do not see how a woman such as yourself could ever champion my cause," continued Hercules, "So I will give my men a chance to practice with their weapons. Try to hold out as long as you can. I want this fight to be worth their while." He began to turn toward the bleachers.

"They're not your men," said Hinata, her voice still toneless.

Hercules paused, then slowly turned back to Hinata. "What did you just say?"

It was then that Hinata's expression changed. "They're not your men," she repeated, each word dripping with venomous anger. "They're honorable shinobi of The Village Hidden in the Leaves, and while you may have twisted them to fight with you, they will never fight for you!"

Even Hinata was amazed by how angry she had become. She hated this man. Hated him for what he had done to her fellow ninjas. Hated him for what he had done to Naruto...

Hinata took up a ready battle stance, her Byakugan activated. "I will never allow you to conquer my village. Nor can I allow you to further harm my friends and fellow shinobi. I will not back down, but stand tall and defend all that I hold dear, for this is my Ninja Way!"

She glanced up at a stunned Naruto.

"This is my Will of Fire."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I figured that in order to make my first chapter more interesting, I should combine the first few chapters into one big one, seeing as how the very first chapter was somewhat dry. At any rate, I hope you’re enjoying the story, and please review if you can! Your opinions mean much.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata now has as good an opportunity as ever to show her strength to Naruto, but will she make it through to the end?

For a moment, Hercules merely stared at Hinata. He hadn't seen such a fierce looking woman since Hippolyta had caught him stealing her belt. For a moment, he actually felt intimidated, but he quickly shrugged it off. He was Hercules. He had grappled with more dangerous foes than this girl. Hercules let out a rude laugh.

"Ha, ha, ha! Foolish girl! I admit you have spirit, but belief in what you do will not save you now!"

He eyed Hinata with an arrogant glare. "Tell me, Hinata Hyuga, did you ever have to retrieve a gigantic, three headed guard dog? Was there a time when you had to clean a stable that had mounds of filth which stood bigger than you? Were you once up against a nine headed serpent that was so powerful, it could stand a decapitation by growing back two additional heads for every one you cut off?!"

He was getting worked up, "NO?! I didn't think so! But I have, and I prevailed! I dragged that three-faced mutt out of the Underworld with my bare hands! I diverted the course of not one, but two whole rivers to wash out those messy stables! And I was the one who was clever enough to discover that cauterizing the serpent's stumps would prevent its heads from regrowing! I did all that, and more! And never once, in all of my labours, did I rely on faith to bring me to victory!" His face was only a few feet away from Hinata's now, and his voice was now quiet, but deadly. "Because, foolish Hinata, in the end, the only thing that matters is strength, and strength is attainable through real power."

"You're wrong," said Hinata in a calm but angry tone, "You know nothing about real power."

Hercules once again stared at Hinata. An arrogant smirk spread across his face.

"We'll see about that," he said.

With that, he turned and gave a mighty leap up to the viewing box. From there, he looked down at Hinata and the half-dozen drained soldiers. "Fight, for the glory of Zeus!" he commanded.

Hinata studied her opponents. She recognized them all as the missing leaf nin. They were wearing ancient armor, and were wielding gladitorial weapons: Swords, shields, and javelins. Two more were up on either side of the viewing box, armed with bows and arrows. And, like Naruto and Takuma, they were scrawny, and bearing that same hopeless look. They couldn't even recognize her, and Hinata knew that it would be pointless to try to make them see otherwise. She gazed up at Naruto, and was surprised to see his eyes had cleared slightly. That glint she had seen in his eyes was starting to become more prominent.

Naruto managed to grin weakly at her. "It's up to you, Hinata," he said, "Just have faith."

Feeling more confident than ever, Hinata shifted her focus back to her enemies. She had always wanted to show Naruto her ability, and now she had as good a chance as ever. Naruto's humanity lay in her hands. She couldn't lose this fight. She wouldn't lose this fight.

Immediately, a soldier bearing a sword charged Hinata, his weapon raised. Hinata sprinted up to the man, and before he could even swing his blade, Hinata delivered swift jabs to several chakra points located on the soldiers chest, who was only wearing a helmet and legguards for protection. The brainwashed nin coughed up a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground, paralyzed.

In the time it took for him to fall, three gladiators had readied their javelins to throw at Hinata. "Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms!" shouted Hinata as she activated her signature jutsu. Thin beams of chakra shot out from her palms, which she quickly used to form a protective dome as the fighters threw their javelins. The three javelins impacted with her shield and the shafts broke, leaving Hinata unscathed.

Deactivating the jutsu, Hinata leaped into the air, landing next to another soldier, who, having been startled, quickly slashed at her with his sword. She ducked his sword swing and delivered a sweeping kick to his legs. The man lost his balance and fell, and Hinata instantly delivered a chop to the nin's neck, knocking him out.

Rushing at two more of the skeletal soldiers, she grabbed one of the broken shafts without breaking stride and KOed the two nins at once with either end of the pole. She then threw the shaft at another soldier. It struck him in the back of his jaw and knocked him out cold. The remaining fighter raised his shield and charged Hinata. Hinata also ran at the man, but at the last moment, she leapt over him, grabbed his head and slammed it to the ground.

Suddenly, an arrow whizzed right by her, cutting off a lock of her hair. Instinctively grabbing the shield of the soldier she had just KOed, she raised it in front of her, blocking several more arrows. It was then that she registered the numerous arrow shafts scattered around her. Even with her Byakugan, she hadn't noticed them, and yet, during the entire fight, she had been moving constantly, dodging all the arrows that had been shot at her without even realizing it. Keeping the shield raised, she grabbed the nearest arrow and threw it at the archer. (She figured that she should save her kunai and shuriken for when there weren't other things to throw.) The arrow flew into the archer's shoulder, and his arm went limp, thus disabling him. With the next archer, Hinata went all out. Swinging her arm, she threw the shield like a giant discus. It sailed through the air and into the shinobi's ribcage with enough force to send him flying into the bleachers.

Panting slightly, Hinata looked up at Hercules expectantly, who glared down at her in return. By the Gods, he thought, I have underestimated this girl. She could probably stand up to my brother!

After a little more thought, Hercules let out a snort. "I'll take care of you myself," he declared. As he spoke, two more frail nins appeared on either side of Hercules, each of them carrying something the likes of which Hinata had never seen. At first glance, they looked like giant metal lion heads, but as Hinata looked at them, she realized there were bracers sticking out behind the heads. Those great lion heads were supposed to be some sort of glove. Some sort of...cestus.

"Hinata," whispered Naruto. Hinata looked up to see Naruto, who looked anxious. "Be careful, those things, they…" but before he could say more, he succumbed to a spasm attack. The cage was getting to him. Hinata knew that the longer Naruto stayed behind those bars, the more he would deteriorate, until he would no longer be Naruto. But what was it he was going to say?

Hinata shifted her focus back to Hercules. By now, the two shinobi had reached him and were holding out the cesti. Hercules inserted his fists into the bracers, and his hands were completely covered by the lion heads. He then looked at the two servants with disdain and raised his cesti.

Hinata, realizing what he was about to do, yelled "No!" But it was too late, as Hercules slammed his cesti into the two nin. Hinata watched in horror as the two shinobi went flying down onto the stage, hitting the floor with a sickening crunch, their bodies bent in all the wrong ways.

Hercules leapt down after the shinobi, landing in front of Hinata, who glared at him with a burning rage.

"You didn't have to hurt them," she hissed.

"Call it a casualty of war," sneered Hercules, "Now, feel my might!"

He aimed a punch at Hinata, who leapt out of the way just in time. The fight had begun.

At first, neither of them seemed to be winning. Hercules muscular strength was far superior than his opponent's, but Hinata was lighter and more agile. Between the two traits, they both evened out. Hinata sensed that the cesti were dangerous, so she made sure to be cautious, but whenever she tried to strike her foe, her position was made vulnerable and she would have to cancel the attack to avoid getting hit.

Pretty soon, things began to change.

Hercules raised both of his fists and bent back slightly, preparing to slam down on Hinata's spot. Seeing her opportunity, Hinata instinctively delivered a front kick to Hercules' groin. He cried out, and for a moment, Hinata thought she had crippled her opponent, but her spirits plummeted when she realized that Hercules wasn't screaming. He was laughing.

"Pathetic girl!" brayed Hercules, "How do you think I got so strong? Ha ha ha!" And with that, he slammed his cesti down on Hinata's location, only to discover that Hinata had leapt over him and was now directly behind the man.

Through her Byakugan, Hinata could see Hercules entire chakra network. It wasn't active like a shinobi's, but she could still redirect the chakra to harm his organs, just as Neji had done to her during the Chuunin Exams. Hinata began jabbing at several areas surrounding his heart, but stopped when she realized that none of her blows were reaching his network. His back muscles were so thick, they were absorbing her blows!

"I do not need a massage, whelp," said Hercules sarcastically, and before Hinata could respond, Hercules had swung around and slugged her in the gut. The pain was incredible, but the force was far greater still. Hinata flew backwards, all the way across the arena and right into the wall.

"Hinata!" cried Naruto.

Make no mistake, she hurt all over. The lower part of her lungs had collapsed, her sternum had shattered, and over half of her ribs were broken, while the rest were cracked. All that was from a single punch. But what Hinata registered most was the intense pain that was shooting through her arms and back, which she couldn't move. Looking around, Hinata realized that she had collided with one of the thorny pillars, which had impaled her arms and back. It was a miracle that her head had slammed into a bare spot. But the pain. Hinata bit her tongue to prevent herself from shrieking, and the taste of blood flowed into her mouth from the force of the bite.

Hercules let out another laugh. "Now you die, Hinata!" He began to slowly walk toward her, taking his time while she struggled in agony. Never in her life had Hinata been more physically hurt. The pain was threatening to overwhelm her. But she could see Naruto, dangling in that vampiric cage with a terrified look, and she knew that he needed her more than ever. So she would never let herself fear the pain, nor succumb to it. She began to struggle, slowly prying her right arm free. The pain spiked, but she pressed on. Once her right arm was loose, Hinata started detaching her other arm from the thorns, all the while trying her best not to blackout from the agony. Hercules noticed her effort and quickened his pace. Finally freeing both arms from the thorns, Hinata pressed her hands against bare spots of the plant and pushed, prying her back from the thorns. Free from the thorns, Hinata ran at Hercules, who had also broken into a run. When they had reached each other, Hercules shoved his cestus at Hinata, who instantly grabbed it and began to pirouette, throwing all of her weight into the spin as she pulled Hercules with her. She then let go, and Hercules stumbled backward into the thorns. He bellowed in pain.

Hinata leapt onto Hercules and ripped off his shoulder guards. She then ran up his chest and kneed him in the head, ramming it against the thorns and splitting his helm into pieces.

"ENOUGH!" roared Hercules. He swatted at Hinata, who leapt back to the ground to avoid the blow. Getting off the thorns and to his feet, Hercules raised his cesti and brought them together. The resulting sound reverberated through Hinata's skull, threatening to rupture her eardrums. It was too much. It was all too much, and at long last, she blacked out.

Na...ru...to... was her last conscious thought.

Hercules looked down at Hinata, who lay bleeding out onto the floor. "Brat," he muttered. He turned and looked up at Naruto, who was staring at Hinata in horror.

"Hinata...No…" he moaned.

"That's right," said Hercules as he turned to face Naruto's cage. "She lays there, beaten and broken, just as you did before me. None have ever defeated me. That is how it has been, and that is how it always will be. She spoke of faith as a weapon, as a source of power, but do you see where faith has gotten her? Soon, everyone in your village will serve me."

Naruto had been looking at Hinata while Hercules boasted. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he quickly shifted his gaze to Hercules.

"You're wrong," said Naruto quickly. "You'll never succeed! Uh, yeah, you're a real idiot!" For a moment, Naruto's gaze drifted over past Hercules head, presumably at Hinata. Hercules would've turned to see what he was looking at, but Naruto's insult wiped all thought of that action from his mind.

"How dare you! Me, an idiot? Are you blind?! Have you forgotten how I defeated you?! You also tried to beat me, but your big heart weighed you down! That is what makes you an idiot, and me a victoOAAARGH!"

Hinata, who had come to while Hercules boasted, had snuck up behind him and had just lodged a kunai into his bracer, where the side of the knife dug into his arm. Hercules whirled around and knocked Hinata back. The kunai remained in his arm.

"Imbecile!" yelled Hercules, "Do you really think that that will help you?"

"No," said Hinata. She pointed at an object attached to the kunai, "But that will."

Hercules stared at the sizzling paper bomb, then back at Hinata.

"You little bi-" KABOOM! The bomb ignited, blasting Hercules in one direction and the cestus in the other.

This was what Hinata had hoped would happen. In order to beat Hercules, she had to separate him from his cesti, which she had deduced to be the source of his strength. She was amazed it had worked, but had Naruto not distracted Hercules while Hinata had been sneaking up on him, it probably wouldn't have.

Hercules picked himself up. His arm had been burned by the bomb, and there was an intense rage in his eyes. He let out a roar and began to run at Hinata. Without even thinking, Hinata plunged her right arm into the cestuses bracer, putting it on. The thing was surprisingly light, but rather cumbersome, as it covered much of her forearm, but beggars couldn't be choosers, and so Hinata ran at Hercules. Both readied their individual gauntlets to attack, but Hinata's speed won out over Hercules' strength. With the might of the cestus, she delivered a solid slug to Hercules' gut, just as he had done to her before. This time, it was Hercules who went flying, and the might of the punch caused his remaining cestus to pop off, which Hinata quickly donned. The cesti primed themselves and the bracers clicked into place over her forearms, and suddenly, Hinata felt something. It was as if a great beast had just awoken inside of her. Instantly, the cesti began to glow a pale shade of blue. It was like they were radiating some sort of energy.

Hercules, disarmed and defenseless, got up from the ground. He looked at Hinata with an uneasy glare. "Finally," he proclaimed, "A real challenge!" But Hinata could hear something different in his voice, could see something different in his eyes. She glanced up at an awed Naruto one more time, and knew that this fight had just swung in her favor.

She rushed at Hercules, swinging the cesti at him. Not even Hercules' muscle could withstand her blows now, for with the cesti, the power of Hinata's punches had been increased tenfold. It seemed that Hinata was winning. Hercules, bloody and bruised, suddenly grabbed Hinata, and began to squeeze her with his arms. Hinata retaliated by slamming the cesti together on Hercules skull, and he instantly dropped her, clutching his head in agony. Hinata paused, thinking she had won, only to have Hercules suddenly grab her again. This time he lifted Hinata with one hand and began punching her with the other, laughing while he did it. With each blow, Hinata felt her head pound. Sneering, Hercules drew back his fist for another blow, but once again, Hinata acted faster, and landed a right cross to Hercules' chin. He dropped her, and Hinata continued her assault with an overhand, before finishing with a devastating uppercut.

Hercules was on his hands and knees by now, and Hinata hesitated again, certain she had beaten him, but suddenly, Hercules shot out his leg and kicked Hinata across the stage. Fortunately, he'd kicked her in the opposite direction of the thorns, but it certainly didn't feel comforting when Hinata slammed against the balustrade, which ominously cracked against her weight.

Hinata looked up and saw Hercules at the other end of the stage. With a malicious glint in his eyes, Hercules dug his hands into the cracks of the floor, and then proceeded to lift the entire end of the arena. He was going to tip Hinata over the cliff! Hinata, who had started to make her way back to Hercules, fell back as the stage slanted. She didn't even have time to use her chakra to stick to the stage, and she tumbled back into the weakened balustrade, which crumbled beneath her.

For a brief moment, Hinata was free-falling, and her mind was racing a mile a minute. It was over. She had lost. She would never get to prove herself to everyone. She would never get to be a strong shinobi. She would never get to tell Naruto that she-

NARUTO!

She could hear Naruto yelling something, and she realized that she was his only hope. She was not going to let him down. She stared up at the ledge and wished she was back up there, and it was as if the cesti had read her mind, for the two lion heads shot out from the bracers and bit down on the ledges. The heads were connected to the rest of the cesti by chains, which pulled Hinata back up to the ledge.

She slowly clambered her way back onstage, and, using her chakra-infused soles to stick to the tilted floor, she ran up the stage and leapt with all her might, rising into the air in a way that was almost majestic, and landing with a cesti-powered slam on the spot above Hercules, pinning him beneath the floor of the stage.

This time, it was Hinata Hyuga who glared down at Hercules, who lay dazed and stunned. She could feel her anger towards the man flowing through her veins, pounding in her ears. She thought of what this man had done to her allies and family, twisting their minds and forcing them to fight her. She thought of what this man did to Naruto, what he would've done to Naruto...

Screaming loudly, Hinata raised her cestus and brought it down on Hercules face, again and again. Her vision was going all hazy and red, and still she kept pounding. The first to cave was Hercules' nose, then his teeth shattered, then his eyes gouged. Eventually, his entire head was reduced to a great red stain on the arena. And still Hinata kept pounding the stain, over and over again, screaming, crying. It was only when Naruto called out her name that Hinata finally stopped, and the red haze cleared from her eyes. She looked down at what she had done and felt like she was going to be sick. She slowly looked up at Naruto. What would he say? What would he think? Did her harsh and violent action just frighten him away?

Naruto looked at what remained of Hercules, and then back at Hinata. For the longest moment, the two stared at each other, and then a small smile appeared on Narutos's face.

"Hinata," he said, "I'm pretty sure he's dead by now."

Fresh tears poured from Hinata's eyes. Naruto was safe, he didn't hate her, she had won, it was all over now. She sood there, on top of Hercules' dead body, wearing a pair of gigantic cesti, and cried. The tears weren't of sorrow or anger, and they weren't entirely joy. They were tears of relief.

After a while, she wiped her eyes with her sleeves, got up, and went over to the pulley, where she lowered Naruto's cage and smashed it open. She and Naruto then started making their way towards the outside of the arena, leaning on each other for support, where they planned to wait for help. They didn't want to leave any of the unconscious and battered shinobi that Hinata had fought.

As they were heading toward the exit, Naruto spoke. "Hinata, what you did out there, that was incredible. Those lion heads pack quite a punch."

"Yes," said Hinata, "But that wasn't what helped me win."

"What do you mean?" asked Naruto.

"Well," said Hinata, blushing slightly, "Whenever I felt myself falter, I just thought of you, and how you would never give up on those you cared for. The lion heads may have given me an edge, but I never would have been able to beat Hercules without your belief in me. In the end, my Will of Fire triumphed."

Naruto grinned. "You're right," he said, "I did believe in you, and you won. Man, you're pretty smart, Hinata. Strong, too. Very strong."

Physically, Hinata was a mess. Her ribs were broken, she was internally bleeding, and the back of her jacket had been stained red by the numerous puncture wounds that covered her arms and back. She hurt all over. She was also still wearing the cesti, which she didn't know how to take off.

But in her heart, Hinata Hyuga had never felt better in her entire life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter took so long, but I hope the wait was worth it. I'm sure some of you are curious as to why Hinata didn't use her Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists, But I promise to explain that eventually. I'll need a bit of time to think of where to take this story, but I'll think of something. So, please consider to review, and I will see you all later. Bye for now!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Safe at home in her village, Hinata must adapt to the sudden change.

Hinata Hyuga, rightful heir of the Hyuga Clan, had just been granted a mighty weapon: A pair of lion-headed cesti that increased her strength tenfold. Such a weapon would give her might, it would make her punches the most powerful in the Hidden Leaf Village, and would even be a match for the Hokage's strength. Despite all this, the cesti had a downside to them, one no one would have seen coming. The downside of wielding the cesti was that…

"...They won't come off?" asked Tsunade.

"Yes," sighed Hinata.

It had been hours since Hinata's fight with Hercules. She and Naruto had left the arena only to find that a group of shinobis had just arrived. Apparently, Takuma had managed to stagger back to the Hidden Leaf Village, where he had explained what was going on. It had taken quite some time for Takuma to make it to the village, and by the time the task force sent by Tsunade had managed to find the amphitheater, Hinata had already defeated Hercules.

They brought Hinata, Naruto, and the surviving shinobis back to the Hidden Leaf Village, where Tsunade was angrily preparing to beat up Naruto and Hinata for disobeying her direct orders. However, when they arrived, Tsunade discovered that Hercules had already done the job for her, so instead she sent them all to the emergency room of the hospital, where they were placed under critical condition alongside Takuma. The shinobis who had been drained by Hercules cages were hooked up to nutrient drips mixed with supplements to help them regain their proper weight, but they also had to be treated for their wounds that Hinata had dealt them during their fight, while the two who had been knocked down by Hercules actually had to go through the Healing Resuscitation Regeneration Technique in order to fully heal. Hinata herself was almost in need of one, but Sakura was able to heal her to the point where it wouldn't be necessary. As she was healing Hinata, Sakura had tried to remove the cesti from Hinata's arms, only to find that she was unable to. The bracers didn't have a specific hatch located on them, or at least one that she couldn't see, but she had searched pretty thoroughly.

Once Hinata and Naruto had been healed to the point where they could be talked to, Tsunade had come to debrief them. She and Sakura now stood in the hospital room where Naruto and Hinata were recuperating. At the edge of the room sat Hiashi Hyuga, who had come to the hospital the moment he'd been sent word of his daughter's return. He now sat quietly in the corner of the room, his eyes never leaving Hinata, his expression unreadable.

Hinata was heavily bandaged and was still wearing her cesti. The medical-nin couldn't fit the cesti through the sleeves, so they had been forced to cut off her jacket in order to tend to her wounds. Naruto was bandaged almost as much as Hinata, and was hooked to a nutrient I.V. like the other drained shinobi. He was still somewhat gaunt but was beginning to regain his proper weight. Hinata and Naruto had just finished telling them what had happened during their mission. Tsunade was deep in thought, while Sakura looked like she was trying to decide whether to hug or strangle Naruto. Hiashi's expression was still unreadable, but he was still looking at Hinata.

"So let me get this straight," said Tsunade. She pointed at Naruto, "You disobeyed a direct order and engaged the target in combat, thinking that you could win, only to be defeated and locked up in a cage that drained you of your strength and will."

"Yes," said Naruto, rolling his eyes halfheartedly. (Sakura's face twitched.)

Tsunade turned to Hinata.

"And then," she continued, "You disobeyed my orders as well, got beaten, pounded, and impaled," (Now it was Hiashi's face that twitched,) "Stole the enemy's weapons on a random whim, and used them to beat him to death in a blind rage. And to top it off, they won't come off?"

"Yes," sighed Hinata.

Tsunade stared at them both for the longest moment before letting out a sigh, "Well, ordinarily I'd see to it that you were both severely punished for insubordination, but since you did save many of the shinobi, and since you're both severely wounded already, I suppose I'll let it slide."

"R...really?" asked Hinata.

"Yes," said Tsunade, "At any rate, I certainly don't need the extra work. I already have to have those cages analyzed, as well as research done into this Hercules character. For now, you two can rest up. I'm going to go take a nice long bath. I think I'm going to need it."

She headed out the door.

"Phew," sighed Naruto after she had gone, "Did you hear that, Hinata? It looks like we're in the clea..."

"CHA! YOU RECKLESS IDIOT!" roared Sakura.

"Yipe!" whimpered Naruto as an all too familiar scene began to play out. But that was all Hinata saw as Hiashi came over to her bedside and drew the curtain between the two beds.

"Now that the Hokage has finished speaking, I would like to have a word with you as well, Hinata," he said calmly.

"Yes, father," said Hinata, nervously.

Hiashi pulled up a chair and sat next to Hinata's bed. For a moment, he studied his daughter, as if she were an interesting, yet complex piece of art. Then he spoke.

"Hinata, I find what you did to be quite foolish. Not only did you disobey the Hokage's orders, but in doing so, you put your own life in great danger. On top of it all, you've virtually disabled your hands. Just how great a shinobi do you think you can become if you cannot even form jutsu?"

Hinata thought about Rock Lee, but knew better than to contradict her father.

"The choices that you've made today should make you unworthy for leading the Hyuga Clan."

Hinata lowered her head. "I'm sorry for disappointing you, father."

"Disappointed? I'm not disappointed. On the contrary, I'm proud."

Hinata looked up, surprised. "What?"

Hiashi smiled softly. "I'm proud of you, Hinata. With great strength and even greater durability, you were able to overcome all odds and defeat a powerful foe, saving about a dozen shinobi. I doubt that Neji or even I could have done a better job. I suppose this shows that sometimes, the ends truly justify the means."

Hinata didn't know what to say. It wasn't often that her father complimented her, and this was certainly the first time that he had compared her to his level.

"However," continued Hiashi, "If those lion heads haven't been removed by the time your wounds have healed, then you'll have to stay at home until we can get them off. I know that they're powerful, but it would be too risky sending you on missions without any hands. Is that understood?"

"Yes, father," said Hinata quickly.

From the other side of the curtain came a faint, gagging noise. Hinata cast a worried look at the curtains as Hiashi got up from his seat.

"I suppose that I will have to deal with that," he sighed, "I should not just stand idly by while someone is being throttled in a hospital."

He headed over to the other side of the curtain.

While Naruto was able to get out of the hospital in two weeks, Hinata stayed in the hospital for about a month. During her time various attempts were made to remove her cesti, none of which worked. Hinata had explained how she had been able to blast the cestus off Hercules with a paper bomb, but nobody was going to try something that dangerous.

While Naruto and Hinata were hospitalized, a funeral was held for the five shinobi who hadn't survived their encounter with Hercules, one of whom had been a Hyuga. Hinata felt saddened by this, but was slightly comforted when a visiting Naruto reminded her that it would have been worse had it not been for her.

She was often visited by friends and family. She was happy when her team had visited her. Kurenai said she was proud of Hinata, Shino calmly congratulated her on her victory, Kiba wouldn't stop asking questions about Hinata's fight with Hercules, and Akamaru kept on sniffing the cesti. "He must be interested in them or something," shrugged Kiba, "And to be honest, who can blame him?"

Neji was the one who visited most often. He had been away on a mission during Hinata's battle, and he felt guilty that he hadn't been there when Hinata was hurt. He spent much of his spare time at Hinata's bedside, asking her how she was feeling or if she needed anything. When Naruto commented on Neji's frequent arrivals, the genius of the Hyuga clan turned slightly red and quietly asked if Hinata needed a drink.

After six weeks, Hinata was well enough to be checked out of the hospital. Naruto, glad that Hinata had pulled through, invited her out for some ramen. This caused her to pass out.

"Hinata?" asked Naruto, "Ah, don't tell me you're still unwell!"

Instead of ramen, Naruto carried Hinata back home, cesti and all.

Because she still couldn't take off the cesti, Hinata had to stay at her house. A few changes had to be made to her daily routine as well, which included bathing, getting dressed, and eating. Despite these setbacks, a few provisions were made to help her. First off, Hiashi had a new jacket made for Hinata, which had hidden zippers running from the sleeves to her shoulders. Zippers were also added to the sleeves and back of her mesh undershirt, while her bra straps were flexible enough to stretch over the cesti. With the help of someone else, Hinata was able to undress whenever she had to. As for bathing, a tub was filled with hot water and some sanitizing chemicals. Hinata had only to soak herself in the tub to keep herself clean, after which someone (usually her younger sister, Hanabi,) would dry her off with a towel. And for food, Hinata had a special nutrient smoothie which she drank through a straw.

Although life at home had been made more easier than she thought, Hinata was bored and depressed. While Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru were out on missions, she was stuck at home.

"Hinata?"

Hinata, who had been daydreaming in her room, looked up and saw Naruto standing by her door, a bowl of ramen in his hands.

"N-Naruto!" stuttered Hinata, "I-I wasn't expecting you here!"

"Obviously," grinned Naruto as he studied her blushing face, "I came here to give you that ramen I promised earlier."

"Oh! Th-thank you," replied Hinata.

"Well, it's the least I can do," said Naruto, "Oh, but wait, I forgot! You can't use your hands. Ah well, I guess I'll have to feed you myself."

"W-wh-wha-what?" stammered an extremely red Hinata.

"Okay, then," said Naruto as he scooped up some ramen, "Say aaah."

"...Aaaaaaaaah," moaned Hinata, though it wasn't the type of "aaah" you would normally use when being spoon-fed ramen.

One awkward meal later, Naruto set down the empty bowl.

"Did you enjoy your meal, Hinata?"

"Yes," said Hinata, "Thank you, it was great."

"Well, good," said Naruto, "It wasn't too hot though, was it? I noticed that your face was red while you were eating it."

"No," said Hinata a bit too quickly, "It...it was good."

Hoping to change the subject, Hinata asked Naruto how he was doing.

"Oh, I've been doing fine," answered Naruto, "Kakashi-sensei has been telling me to keep it easy, but I've been doing great on missions."

"Oh," said Hinata, as the familiar sense of depression creeped back into her, "I'm happy to hear that."

"Really?" asked Naruto, "You don't sound too happy. What's wrong, Hinata?"

Hinata stared at her cesti and sighed. "Ever since I put on these lion heads, I haven't been able to use my hands. I can't form jutsu, and I can't use the Gentle Fist. How can I strike at individual chakra points with these giant heads. How can I continue being a shinobi without any hands."

"Hinata," said Naruto in a steady tone, "Who says you can't still be a shinobi? If you couldn't be a shinobi, then how were you able to save me from Hercules? I know that you can and will be a powerful shinobi. For now, you should try training with those lion heads. I'm sure you'll figure out how to properly use them. You've done well with them so far, right?"

Hinata thought for a moment, then slowly began to smile. She would need a sparring partner, though not Naruto, as he was still recovering.

"Do you know where Neji is?"

"Are you sure you want to do this, Lady Hinata?" asked Neji ten minutes after Naruto had left.

"I'm certain," said Hinata, eagerly raising her cesti, "Now let's do this!"

Neji wasn't as eager. He still felt regret over what he had done to Hinata during the Chuunin exams, and he certainly didn't want to hurt her again. He had trained with Hinata many times before, but her wounds had just healed, and her hands were disabled. He knew that Hinata had already defeated a powerful foe with her cesti, but how would she fare against someone more quicker than Hercules? Those cumbersome lion heads certainly didn't help her speed, though they didn't seem to be weighing her down as much as he'd thought. I'll go easy on her, thought Neji, just a few quick punches and jabs. She can handle that.

Without even bothering to activate his Byakugan, Neji rushed towards Hinata, who took up a defensive stance. As he neared her, he brought his fist forward in a punch to Hinata's side, where it wouldn't cause much damage. Hinata, seeing the attack, brought up her forearm in defense.

CLANG!

"OW!"

Neji staggered back, grasping his hand in pain. He had just struck the cestus, and as a result, had just fractured at least three of his fingers.

"Neji!" cried Hinata, "Are you alright? Did I hurt you?"

"I'm...fine," gasped Neji, grimacing against the pain of his fingers, "I can still fight."

"Are you sure?" asked Hinata, "I could always train with someone else."

"No, really," replied Neji, "I'm fine. I'll just use my other arm."

"Very well, then," said Hinata, timidly resuming her stance.

Neji once again ran at her, only this time, he brought up his leg in a much swifter kick. Hinata raised her cesti, and once again:

CLONG!

"AGH!"

Neji fell to the ground, now clutching his leg, trying his best not to curse in pain.

"Oh, no!" cried Hinata, "I'm sorry! I don't know my own strength with these things."

Neji slowly got up.

"It's alright, Lady Hinata," said Neji, leaning his weight on his one good leg, "Though perhaps it would be best if we were to work on your offense."

"You don't have to do this, Neji," said Hinata, "I don't want you getting too badly hurt."

"It's alright," said Neji, "Now, try and hit me with your cesti. I'll be able to judge how precise your strikes are. Now please, come at me."

After a brief pause, Hinata charged Neji, who, in retrospect, felt that he should've given more consideration to the speed of the the punches that Hinata could deliver when she was wearing the cesti. In spite of Hinata successfully blocking his attacks, he'd thought he would be able to dodge her with ease. As it turned out, the cestus was faster than he had thought.

Hours later, Hiashi sat at his table, reading a medical report, while Takuma sat opposite of him, awaiting what he had to say. After a while, Hiashi spoke, his eyes never leaving the report.

"It says here that in addition to four broken fingers and a broken ankle, he also had five fractured ribs, and intense trauma to his liver, gallbladder, and right kidney."

"Yes, Lord Hyuga."

"It also says that his chances of recovery would have been slimmer if he hadn't been able to move himself slightly to the side, which means that he would have died if it had been a direct hit."

"Yes, Lord Hyuga."

"And how far did it send him?"

"Seventy feet."

"Seventy feet from a grazing punch..." muttered Hiashi to himself.

For a moment, the two men sat in silence, then Hiashi finally looked up at Takuma.

"Takuma?"

"Yes, Lord Hyuga?"

"I think it's time that my daughter was put back out on the field."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, everyone. I hope to put another God of War reference into this story, which will probably surface in the next chapter. If you're in the mood, then be sure to review, and Happy Holidays!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back on the field, Hinata must face off against a new threat from a different world.

"Argh! Where is she?" demanded Kiba. He, Akamaru, and Shino were by the front gate of the Hidden Leaf Village. Kiba was restlessly pacing, Akamaru was lying on the warm grass with his belly up, and Shino was calmly leaning against the gate.

"I mean, come on," continued Kiba, "It's bad enough that Kurenai-sensei can't come with us on this mission because she's pregnant, but to have Hinata abandon us as well? Sheesh!"

"You know, she was added to the mission at the last minute," said Shino, "And we were supposed to be at the gate by noon."

Kiba stopped his pacing and glared at Shino.

"So?"

"It's 11:40," replied Shino, "She isn't late; we're early."

"Bah!" replied Kiba, "My Mom once told me that if you're early, you're on time, and if you're on time, you're late, and if you're late…" Kiba's voice trailed off as his expression turned nervous. Shino looked up at Kiba expectantly.

"What happens if you're late?" he asked.

"...Just…Just don't be late…" answered Kiba.

Akamaru let out a whimper.

Shino sighed. "Well, at any rate, Hinata has arrived."

Sure enough, Hinata came up to them, her cesti gleaming in the sun.

"About time, Hinata! Where have you been? Did your cats weigh you down or what?"

"I'm sorry, Kiba. I was just checking up on Neji. He still hasn't fully recovered from our fight."

"Ah, he'll live. It's you that has me concerned. Have you figured out a way to remove those cat heads?"

"No, I haven't," said Hinata, "I'm sorry, Kiba."

"You shouldn't have to apologize to him just because those gauntlets won't come off," said Shino.

"Hey!" said Kiba, "Those cats of hers could slow us down!"

"Neji was of a similar mindset when he trained with Hinata," replied Shino, "and look what happened to him. It proves that Hinata has great skill in wielding those cesti. She'll be fine. Now seeing as how she was absent when the Hokage briefed us, I would like to explain to her our objectives of this mission. Is that alright with you?"

"Yeah, fine," replied Kiba, "But make it quick."

Shino turned to Hinata. "There have been numerous disappearances happening in the Land of Holes," he explained, "Nobody knows who's responsible, but it has been happening around a small, but deep pit.. We have to neutralize whatever is threatening these people."

"That's right!" agreed Kiba, "Now, let's go!"

And so, Team 8 set off on their mission. The time was 11:45 a.m.

After a while, Team 8 managed to reach the Land of Holes, the terrain of which oddly consisted of thinly dense forests, barren landscape, and lots of sinkholes of varying size.

When the sun had vanished over the horizon, Shino stopped and suggested that they set up camp. Kiba would have disagreed, but at this point even Akamaru was panting with exhaustion, so he conceded. They set to work pitching tents. They had only packed two, so Hinata got one to herself because of her large cesti.

"Um, could someone please help me set it up?" asked Hinata, who couldn't pitch the tent due to her cesti. Kiba was about to have Shino do it, but realised that he had sent Shino out to gather firewood. So, the task of pitching Hinata's tent fell to him.

"I'm sorry, Kiba," said Hinata.

Night fell, and Team 8 went to sleep. As she settled in for the night, Hinata could still hear Kiba arguing with Shino about how they were wasting time. Throughout the journey, Kiba had been rather uptight and persistent in their progress, but Hinata knew why: Because of Kurenai's absence, the role of team leader had fallen to Kiba. Due to his reckless nature, Kiba was rarely ever made team leader during missions, and this time he was determined not to screw up.

And besides, thought Hinata as she fell asleep, He just wants us to do well. He's a good friend.

"Hey! Wake up, you sleepy idiot!"

Hinata, who had been sleeping peacefully, was violently shaken awake by Kiba, who looked agitated and worried.

"K...Kiba…?" yawned Hinata.

"You were expecting Naruto?" he asked, "Come on! Get up!"

Hinata, who had perked somewhat at the mention of Naruto, crawled out of her sleeping bag. It was still dark outside, around early-to-mid morning. She saw Shino sitting against his tent. Even with his face obscured, he looked tired.

"Good morning, Shino," said Hinata.

Shino didn't reply.

"Listen," said Kiba, "We've got an emergen-"

He cut off and glared at Shino, who hadn't moved. Walking over to him, Kiba leaned close to Shino's ear and said, "Shino, I thought I told you to WAKE UP!"

Shino jolted up as a swarm of beetles flew out of his other ear.

"Awake?" asked Kiba. "Good!"

Hinata realized that something else must have been bothering Kiba besides their mission. Looking around, she figured out what the problem was.

"Kiba, where's Akamaru?"

"That's just it!" exclaimed Kiba, "I can't find him! I came out to take a leak, and he was gone!"

"Didn't he leave a scent?" asked Shino in an annoyed tone.

"He did," said Kiba, "His scent tells me he went out into the woods, but then it just disappears, like he vanished or something. But there was another scent as well."

"What was it?" asked Shino.

"Sulfur, I think," said Kiba.

"Sulfur…" pondered Shino.

"Where does Akamaru's scent leave off?" asked Hinata.

"Come on, I'll show you," answered Kiba.

They changed into their clothes and followed Kiba to where he'd last smelled Akamaru. Soon, they arrived at a small clearing, where they could see the stars.

"This is where Akamaru's scent ends," said Kiba, "And the scent of sulfur is here as well."

The smell of sulfur was strong enough for even Hinata to smell it. She'd smelled better things. Some beetles flew out of Shino and circled the clearing. After a moment, they came back to Shino.

"Wrong," he said, "I've been selectively breeding my chakra beetles to improve their sense of smell, and right now, they're telling me that both trails don't end here."

"What do you mean?" asked Kiba, "Are you saying that I can't smell my own companion?"

"No," said Shino, "I'm saying his trail and the sulfur lift up from the ground."

"Lift up from the ground?" asked Hinata.

"Correct," said Shino. He gazed up at the stars, "Evidently, Akamaru has ascended."

Kiba stared at Shino in disbelief.

"Are you saying he flew?" he asked.

He craned his neck, as if expecting to see Akamaru flying after some bats.

"How is that possible?"

Shino shrugged. "I don't know. All I can say is that he went airborne. My bugs still have his scent though, so we can follow the trail to wherever he went."

"Then let's go," said Kiba.

They set off through the trees, following Akamaru's scent trail. As they progressed, the smell of sulfur continued to grow stronger, eventually masking Akamaru's scent. The scent led them out of the trees and into the barren landscape. After darting around a few sinkholes, they stopped suddenly.

"Is this where his trail stops?" asked Kiba.

"I can't tell," answered Shino, "Why, you ask? Because-"

But the answer reached their nostrils sooner than their ears, and they all cringed at the sudden stench.

"Because there's too much sulfur," finished Shino.

"Ugh!" exclaimed Kiba, "Why does this place stink of sulfur?! And where is-" he suddenly cut off and stared at something lying up ahead.

"Akamaru," he finished silently.

"What?" asked Hinata.

"Akamaru!" cried Kiba, running over towards the object, which was indeed Akamaru. Hinata followed behind Kiba, but she stopped in horror at the sight of his canine companion.

It was as if Akamaru had just escaped from a barbed oven. He was covered in cuts and burns, and most of his fur had been completely singed off. He was shivering as well, and looked very weak. There were two particular curved gashes on his back and stomach that nearly formed a perfect oval and were bleeding out, though not as heavily as expected. This was probably because they were nearly cauterized. There were also two holes on Akamaru's other side that looked infected. Looking At Akamaru, Hinata remembered how she had found Takuma, and how he too had been unwell. He hadn't been burnt, but this scene struck a familiar chord for her. Kiba knelt down by his fallen friend. His voice was shaking.

"Akamaru...It's alright...I'm here now."

Akamaru lifted his head slightly and whimpered, but his tail wagged a few inches to either side. Shino studied him for a moment.

"I know this looks bad, but if we get him to a medical nin, then he should pull through."

"Hinata," said Kiba silently, "You know a bit of healing. Can't you do something?"

"I might be able too," said Hinata. She knelt by Akamaru and raised her cesti by his side. She activated the healing jutsu and felt the chakra surging through her hands, but Akamaru's burns didn't heal.

"Why isn't it working?" asked Kiba.

"I...I don't think I can heal with these gauntlets on," said Hinata, "I'm sorry, Kiba."

"You're sorry," said Kiba. He finally broke his gaze from Akamaru and looked up at Hinata. Tears were streaming from his eyes as he glared daggers at her.

"You're...F***ing...Sorry!?"

"Kiba," said Shino, but Kiba wasn't listening. He got up from Akamaru, his glare never leaving Hinata.

"Let me ask you something, Hinata," he seethed, "Why the Hell are you even hear! What have you even done! I led this mission, Shino tracked down Akamaru, but you can't heal him!?"

Kiba was frightening Hinata.

"Kiba...please…" begged Hinata, "I want to help you, but my lion heads-"

"I"M SICK OF YOUR F***ING LION HEADS!" roared Kiba, "WHAT ON EARTH HAVE THEY DONE DURING THIS MISSION!? THEY'VE BLOCKED YOUR HANDS, THEY CAN'T PITCH A TENT, AND NOW AKAMARU IS DYING AND THEY WON'T LET YOU HEAL HIM?!"

Akamaru suddenly raised his head and looked toward the pit. He began to whine. Shino was the only one to notice this.

"WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE?" screamed Kiba at Hinata, who was in tears herself by this point, "JUST WHY! ARE! YOU! HERE!?"

"Guys," said Shino, "Something's wrong. I-"

"EVERYTHING IS WRONG!" answered Kiba, "EVERYTHING IS-"

It happened too fast. A giant stalk shot out from the pit and stabbed Kiba in the back. Hinata had time to register a sudden change of expression on Kiba's face before the stalk yanked him off his feet and pulled him down into the pit.

For a moment, Hinata and Shino stood there, processing what had happened. It had just been so sudden. But then Akamaru started howling, and the sound brought them back. They ran to the edge of the pit and looked down. They tried calling out to Kiba, but heard nothing. They couldn't see anything but darkness. Even Hinata's Byakugan couldn't penetrate the depth, though she thought she could see a faint glow.

"We have to go after him," said Hinata.

"I'm not sure that we should rush things," said Shino, "Maybe I should send out some bugs to scout ahead and-"

"There's no time!" complained Hinata.

"Alright, then," said Shino, "But we shouldn't leave Akamaru. Someone will have to stay with him."

"Then I'll go," said Hinata, and before Shino could reply, she had leapt over the edge and was running down the side of the sinkhole, her chakra infused soles providing a dim glow. Shino watched as she descended into the darkness, then looked up at the night sky. The sun would start to rise in an hour or so. Akamaru began whining softly.

"Don't worry, Akamaru," said Shino, "It's always darkest before the dawn."

After what had seemed like ages, Hinata reached the bottom. Looking around, she was surprised by how well she could see. The glowing she had spied from up top had been coming from variously strewn rocks that had been superheated, which helped to provide some luminescence down below. Activating her Byakugan, Hinata looked around the cavern, which had a mile long diameter. At one end of the cavern was a large hole, and she thought she could see something in it, but then her Byakugan focused on Kiba, and she deactivated it.

"Kiba!" she cried, and rushed over to her fallen friend. Kiba was resting against the wall with his eyes shut, and he did not look well. His face was pale, which was to be expected, as he had probably lost a lot of blood from being stabbed, but there was something else as well. He looked ill. He was shivering and drenched in sweat, yet the embers were not that hot. Kiba had somehow caught a fever, and a severe one at that. Hinata wished she could use her hands to check Kiba's temperature and pulse, but the cesti prevented her from doing so.

"Kiba?" asked Hinata, "Are you alright?"

"No," said Kiba, his eyes still shut, "Didn't...mean to be late."

"What?" said Hinata, "Kiba, you're not late."

Kiba opened his eyes slightly, and Hinata noticed that his pupils were dilated.

"I'm running with scissors, Hana," he said, "It makes me feel dangerous."

He's hallucinating, thought Hinata.

She thought for a moment before leaning Kiba forward to look at his back. She gasped. Two large puncture wounds had torn his jacket, but they were red-rimmed and oozing pus. They looked just like the ones Akamaru had. Whatever it was that had stabbed Kiba must have poisoned him.

"Hinata," gasped Kiba.

Surprised that he registered her, Hinata gently rested Kiba against the rock, making sure that his wounds didn't touch the dirty wall.

"Kiba, hold on," she said, "You've been poisoned."

"Hinata, It left me here to die," gasped Kiba, "Just like it left Akamaru."

"Who left you?" asked Hinata, "Kiba, please, I need you to focus."

"Hinata, I have to tell you something," said Kiba, breathing heavily.

"Save your breath!"

"No! This is important!"

"What is it?"

Pulling himself close to Hinata's ear, Kiba whispered, "I...hate...cats…" before sinking back against the rock.

Before Hinata could say anything, the pit was filled with a low, loud growl. Slowly, Hinata turned around to look behind her. At the other side of the pit was the hole she had noticed, and through her Byakugan, Hinata could see something moving in it. It was around this point that Hinata registered all the charred bones that were strewn around the pit. The growling turned into a snarl, forcing Hinata's attention back to the hole. Kiba was rambling faster now, his eyes darting around, trying to look at anything but the giant thing that was stalking out of the hole.

Hinata was too terrified to even scream. This beast, she had never seen anything like it. She could barely comprehend it. It was a dark shade of purple and around forty feet long. It's head vaguely resembled that of a lion's, but it's jaw more closely resembled that of a shark's, with three rows of razor sharp teeth. They explained the two giant wounds on Akamaru. It's eyes and giant maw glowed savagely in the dark. It's mane was comprised not of fur, but of quills that were longer than Hinata's arm, and half as thick. It's body looked like a dragons, for it had long wings instead of forearms, but Hinata dimly noted that some of the muscles on the shoulders seemed shaped like a human's. It also had a pair of back legs which were stocky and spiky. But what unnerved Hinata most was the gigantic scorpion tail that loomed menacingly over the monster. It was almost as thick as her waist, with a bulbous head that was tipped with two large spikes, which glistened with venom. In the back of her mind, Hinata remembered hearing a story of a beast similar to this one. Something called a manticore.

This was what had caused all the villagers to "disappear."

This was what had abducted Akamaru.

This was what had stabbed Kiba.

This was what she had to fight.

Trying her best to stay calm, Hinata raised her cesti and took a defensive stance. The manticore let out a roar, and the fresh blast of sulfur nearly knocked her sandals off. The stinger came toward her in an agile swoop, but Hinata had expected this, and though the tail struck fast, she was able to swat the stinger aside. The beast snarled in pain, then opened it's mouth and let loose with a blast of fire. This Hinata did not anticipate, and barely got out of the way in time.

Landing back down, Hinata quickly delivered several jabs to the manticore's flank. The stinger came at her again, but she didn't have any time to dodge. She raised her cestus in defence. There was a clang as it struck her cestus and rammed her against the wall right above Kiba, who had taken cover to avoid the fire. Hinata tried to move her arm, but found that her cestus had caught on the manticores stinger.

This did not please the manticore, which began shaking its tail, trying to get Hinata off. All that did was nearly give Hinata motion sickness. It slammed her against the wall again and again. Hinata could feel her ribs breaking, but still the cesti would not come loose. Finally, the manticore extended its wings and ascended, taking Hinata with it.

Kiba watched them as they flew up. "I really hate cats," he groaned.

As the manticore rose up, it used its tail to drag Hinata against the wall. Her one free cesti made sparks as it grinded against the stone, but still Hinata could not get free. The velocity of their ascent was almost enough to make Hinata black out.

Then suddenly they were out of the pit, and the sudden space caused the manticore's tail to jerk forward and ram Hinata against Shino, who had looked over the edge to see what was happening. In that instant Hinata's cesti came free from the stinger, and the two shinobi were launched backward, where they landed in a heap by Akamaru, who was trying to stand despite his injuries.

Shino struggled to get up.

"Hinata...What was-"

"Look out!" yelled Hinata, and she shoved Shino and Akamaru aside as the manticore swooped down and let loose with a blast of fire, burning the spot that they had been in a second before. Shino and Hinata got up steadily, keeping their eyes on the beast as it circled above them. Akamaru had gone silent, and was lying as low as he could, hoping that the manticore couldn't spot him.

"Where's Kiba?" asked Shino.

"He's alive, but I don't know how long he has," explained Hinata.

"Then we better get rid of this thing quickly," continued Shino, "Why, you ask-"

Shino was forced to cut off when the manticore swooped at them once again, it's flaming breath scorching the desert. He and Hinata lept out of the way just in time.

"I think I know why," breathed Hinata.

"Good," said Shino, "Now, if we're to defeat this thing, then it would be best if we force it onto the ground. Why, you a-"

Once again, they were interrupted by the manticore's assault.

"Because it's too hard to strike it while it's airborne?" asked Hinata once the manticore had ascended.

"Correct," answered Shino, "So here's the plan: I'll use my beetles to chew through it's wings, and once it's grounded, you'll beat it with your cesti. Do you think you can handle that?"

"Yes, Shino."

"Good, now dodge."

They leapt aside as the manticore rained fire from above. This time, Shino sent a swarm of kikaichū beetles out from his sleeves. The dark cloud of bugs made a beeline for the retreating manticore, before splitting up and surrounding its wings. The manticore snarled, then raised its wings and gave a good, hard flap. The gust was incredible, and the dust was kicked up into a miniature sandstorm. Shino's beetles didn't have a chance. They blew back in all directions from the manticore, and several even hit Hinata, Shino, and Akamaru, who were blown off their feet from the gust. They hit the ground hard, and had to stay down with there faces covered before the sandstorm subsided. Looking up, Hinata coughed dust and noticed that the three of them had almost fallen over the edge of the pit.

"Shino, are you okay?"

Silence.

"Shino?"

Getting up, Hinata saw Shino on his knees, staring around at the various black dots that surrounded the pit. But they weren't dots. They were were beetles. The kikaichū that had tried to attack the manticore had been pummeled by the blast.

"They're dead," said Shino. His voice was trembling with grief. "They're all dead."

"Shino, we have to move."

"It killed them."

"Shino, lookout!"

The manticore swooped down, and this time, it was the stinger that just missed them. We can't keep this up, thought Hinata, I have to bring it down. The manticore circled around and came back at them. Leaving Shino to mourn, Hinata faced the manticore, which was coming closer. On instinct, she threw a punch at the manticore's direction, and gasped as the lion head shot out from the bracer via a chain and sunk it's fangs into the manticore's underbelly, which was white and humanoid.

Shino and Akamaru both looked up at Hinata, who gazed at the chain extending from the bracer to the lion head with awe.

"I, um, forgot they could do that," she explained.

The manticore struggled and prepared to ascend. Fearing she would be dragged up along with it, Hinata sent her other cesti out in a downward arc, breaking off the manticore's ascent. She swung her cesti again and again, pausing to occasionally roll out of the way when the manticore sent out a volley of fire. The manticore's struggling threatened to unbalance her, but with every blow, the manticore struggled less. Finally, Hinata struck the the beast's left wing. There was a loud crunch as the wing broke, and it tumbled onto the ground. Hinata freed her cestus from its stomach, and the lion head reeled back onto her forearm.

The manticore rolled over onto its legs. Its left wing had been bent at an angle that looked to be quite painful. It narrowed its eyes in pure hatred at Hinata, who took up an offensive position and charged. The manticore thrusted it's stinger, but Hinata nimbly ducked under it and delivered a swift punch to its left wing. There was a loud crunch as the manticore's broken wing broke further still, and it shrieked in pain. The tail came again, but Hinata caught it with both the lion's mouths cupping either side of the stingers head. The stinger's two spikes snapped together like a gruesome pincer, just inches from Hinata's face. The tail tried to move, but the might of the cesti would not let it go. Hinata plunged the stinger into the manticore's side, and another shriek pierced the air.

The manticore flopped back from Hinata and opened its mouth wide. Hinata expected more fire, but instead, three gelatinous orbs with objects in them shot out. As soon as they hit the ground, the gelatinous membrane ruptured, and the objects in them began to unfold, spreading their wings and stretching their tails. Hinata gasped. The manticore had just given birth to three babies, each about two meters in length. They were scrawnier than their parent, and they didn't have any manes of quills, but they still had scorpion tails and three rows of sharp teeth, which they gnashed at Hinata, who backed away slowly. She had been used to fighting one big opponent, but three smaller ones might prove to be a different challenge. One of the cubs suddenly pounced, and Hinata had to raise her cesti to keep it off her. Another cub came at her, but with a swift, strong kick, she sent it tumbling. As she struggled, another cub rose up on its wings and came at her. Hinata could see it coming, but was too busy with the other cub to fight it. The cub opened its maw, and Hinata could see it's throat lighting up. Suddenly, the cub was surrounded by a swarm of black dots, which wrestled it to the ground. Glancing over, Hinata spotted Shino, his hands forming a jutsu.

"I've got the cub," he said, "Just take care of its mother."

Hinata nodded, and then clanged her cesti together, with the cub in between. Instead of a loud clang, there was a loud crunch, and the cubs broken body fell to the ground. Before she could lower her arms, the bigger manticore's tail swept under Hinata's legs, causing her to her lose her balance and fall. The stinger arched back in a strike, but Hinata rolled out of the way. The Manticore roared and its tail struck again, only this time, the two spikes landed on either side of her lower ankle, pinning it down.

"Hinata, no!" yelled Shino, who was realizing that the fight had just swung in the manticore's favor.

Hinata struggled, but her leg wouldn't come loose. She looked and saw the manticore's fangs just a foot from her face, and knew that she had been beaten. She closed her eyes and waited.

Thunk!

Opening her eyes, Hinata had just enough time to register the kunai that had struck the manticore's tail before the two paper bombs attached to it exploded. The kunai had hit the base, so the blast did nothing to Hinata but blow her hair back, but it completely severed the manticore's tail, and its resulting shriek had never been louder. Hinata glanced at Shino, thinking that he had thrown the knife. But Shino's gaze was focusing on someone who was standing by the edge of the pit. Following his gaze, Hinata saw who had saved her and her eyes widened.

"Kiba," she gasped.

"Yeah," he said happily, "Looks like I was on time."

He no longer looked feverish, but he was still breathing heavily from exhaustion.

Akamaru barked happily and limped over to his friend.

"Hey, Akamaru," said Kiba, "I'm glad to see you, too."

With a newfound energy, Hinata kicked up her trapped ankle, uprooting the severed stinger and freeing her leg. Getting up, Hinata studied the manticore. It was bruised, it's side was bleeding, it's left wing was torn and broken, and it had a burnt, but bloody stump for a tail. Hinata didn't feel afraid anymore. Her friends had helped her, now she would finish for them.

The manticore opened its mouth, and without even thinking, Hinata charged straightforward, dove into the beast's mouth, and rammed her cestus down its throat. Positioning her legs, Hinata rooted herself in its mouth, all the while keeping the cestus in the manticore's gullet. It was dark inside the manticore's giant maw, the stench of sulfur was virtually unbearable, and from the way it moved its jaw, Hinata realized that it could unhinge its lower jawbone, just like a shark's. But that didn't matter; she was almost completely down its throat. The manticore gagged, then rolled onto its back and began to squirm. Flames kept coming up the beast's gullet, only to be blocked by Hinata's cesti, and though the heat made her hand feel slightly warm, she didn't feel any burning pain.

Outside of the manticore's maw, Kiba and Shino exchanged a brief glance.

"Wow," said Kiba awkwardly, "I never took Hinata as the type who'd go out of the frying pan and into the fire."

"I almost missed your sense of humor," replied Shino.

They continued watching the manticore writhe.

"Um, is it just me, or is that thing's stomach starting to glow?" asked Kiba.

Sure enough, the manticore's stomach was glowing steadily, but then…

"It looks like it's swelling," said Shino.

Sure enough, its stomach was bloating.

"Why, you ask?" continued Shino, "Because of Hinata. She must be blocking the beasts throat, so it's generated flames can only go down instead of up."

"Then why continue breathing fire?'

Shino shrugged. "She must have triggered some sort of gag reflex."

"Yeah, but with all that heat building up inside it, wouldn't that cause the beast to eventually explo-"

KA-FWOOSH!

Sure enough, the manticore's stomach literally bursted open, sending all the compressed fire out in a great inferno, and flaming pieces of innard went flying everywhere. Kiba and Shino had to cover their faces from the intense blast of heat, and Akamaru scrambled to avoid getting hit by a giant burning kidney.

Kiba and Shino looked up at what was left of the manticore. Make no mistake, it was stone dead. It was on its back, with a great, smoking hole for a stomach. Kiba and Shino looked over at its mouth, which was wide open in an expression of pain and terror. It couldn't control itself. It was going to die, and it had known it.

Hinata crawled out of the beast's mouth. The cestus she had used to plug up the beasts gullet was glowing red hot, but other than that appeared to be fine. Hinata looked around at what she'd done, (I'm pretty sure he's dead by now.) and thought of the results of her last battle. This was one was more or less as messy. She looked at Kiba and Shino, at her friends, and they looked back at her in return. Nobody spoke. Last time, she'd had someone who stuck by her, who had made her feel better despite what she had done, but not now. It was just Hinata, her cesti, and that empty feeling in her stomach. That empty hole that seemed more real to her than the one the manticore had. Out of the corner of her eye, Hinata saw movement, and turning to look, she saw a manticore cub, the one she had kicked away. Its wing was broken, but that did not stop it from limping over to its parent, from rubbing up against the dead manticore's body, mewing pitifully for its mother to wake up. Without even thinking, Hinata walked over to the cub and raised her foot, ready to stomp is brains into the dirt. Ready to extinguish its small life without a second thought.

"Hinata!"

Her name jarred her out of her trance, and she looked up at who had shouted her name. It was Kiba, and he looked worried.

"Hinata," he said, "Don't. Let me or Shino kill it. This...this isn't you, Hinata. This isn't who you are."

This isn't who you are. These words rang back and forth in Hinata's head, and the longer they rang, the more she felt her empty hole. They were right. This wasn't her. And yet...

She looked down at the defenseless cub and cried softly. Cried for that empty feeling inside her. It was over. She was with her teammates. Her friends. Kiba quickly killed the cub with a kunai, then the three of them started heading out, with Kiba carrying Akamaru. For a while, they walked in silence, but then Kiba spoke.

"So..um...you guys, I'm real sorry for how I've been acting, more so to you, Hinata."

"It's okay, Kiba. I know how much Akamaru means to you. Also, I'd like to thank you and Shino for helping me."

"You're welcome," said Shino. He turned to Kiba, "Tell me something, Kiba, were you stung like Akamaru was?"

"Yeah."

"Then how were you able to get out of that pit?"

"Soon after Hinata and that monster left, I was able to come to my senses. The venom must have been temporary, I guess."

"Hm."

They kept walking.

"Hinata?"

"Yes, Shino?"

"Good job on defeating that thing. I never expected your fight to end like that."

"I was only trying to choke it. I didn't know that its stomach would blow open."

"I don't think any of us, did."

"I kinda did."

"Don't ruin the moment, Kiba."

"Eh."

"But there is one thing that I find unsettling, Hinata," continued Shino.

"What is it?"

"Well, from what I've heard about your fight with Hercules, and from what I've witnessed during your fight with that winged lion, I've realized that overall, you're fighting style has moved from the Gentle Fist to something different."

"Yeah, no kidding," said Kiba.

"I wasn't finished," snapped Shino. He turned back to Hinata. "Through all of our years spent training together, I've come to see you as a good friend, Hinata, and I will always fight by your side. But now, I've noticed something about you. Ever since you put on those cesti, I've noticed something that I find slightly disturbing."

"W-what are you talking about, Shino?" asked Hinata, who was beginning to feel nervous.

"Whatever doesn't kill you, only makes you...savage."

Nobody spoke for the rest of the journey back, but how could Hinata have known, with that one word ringing through her ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes my longest chapter to date. I hope you all enjoyed it! There are a few things that I feel I should go over: First off, if anybody thought that I was bashing Kiba, please accept my apologies, and know that he is one of my most favorite Naruto characters. Secondly, I know many of you would like to see Kratos in this story, but please have patience. I'm still working on it, and there's plenty of room left for him. Bye for now, and please review if you've the time to spare.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A great distance from the Hidden Leaf Village...

Two men sat drinking and making small talk. The music was playing around them, arguments were happening, and faces were getting redder from too much drink. In short, it was another night at the bar.  
“And so,” said one of the men, “I told her…I-I said to her, ‘honey’, I said, ‘How’d you like a beer and some bedtime?’”  
“And that’s why your nose is broken?” asked the other man, who was more sober.  
“Yeah,” sighed the other man as he felt his nose, “I’ll tell you, Shuji, some women cannot stand beer.”  
“Among other things,” muttered Hotaka’s friend.  
“So,” piped up Hotaka, “You gonna tell me where you were this past week?”  
Shuji didn’t reply at first, but calmly ate a nut from the small bowl in front of him. He had been waiting for Hotaka to ask this.  
“Well, Hotaka,” he said as he looked up at his friend, “I had an errand to make at a shinobi village.”  
“Whoa, really?” marveled Hotaka, who was easy to impress when drunk, “Which village?”  
“The Hidden Leaf,” answered Shuji.  
“In the Land of Fire? That’s pretty far away,” said Hotaka.  
“Yeah, it was a long travel. Anyways, I had to deliver something to the Hokage. But the Hokage wasn’t there to sign for it, so I was told to wait in her office. But while I was waiting, I saw a shinobi profile on her desk. The Hokage must have been busy updating it, ‘cause there was some new writing on it.”  
“Which ninja’s profile was it?” asked Hotaka.  
Shuji thought for a moment while chewing on a nut.  
“I forget the name,” he said, “But it was some girl from the Hyuga Clan.”  
“Aren’t they the ones with those bleary eyes?”  
“Yeah, that would be them. But this one girl, she was special.”  
“Special how?”  
“Well, according to the profile, she had recently found these two metal gauntlets, and they were shaped like lion heads.”  
In a dark corner of the bar, a lone individual suddenly looked up, his gaze focusing on Shuji. Neither Shuji nor Hotaka noticed.  
“What’s a gauntlet?” asked Hotaka.  
They’re these things that you wear on your wrists,” answered Shuji, “But they weren’t like any wrist apparel that I’ve ever seen. There was a photo of the girl wearing them. They were the biggest lion heads I’ve ever seen. I mean, they were covering her forearms. Seriously Hotaka, they were massive.”  
The lone figure was still focusing on Shuji, his eyes unblinking.  
“And get this,” snickered Shuji, “This girl, the one with the lion heads, she can’t take them off. They’re stuck on her.”  
Hotaka smirked. “How do you think she uses the bathroom?” he asked.  
“Who knows?” laughed Shuji, “All I’m saying is that she’s got these giant lions for hands.”  
“So, appearances aside, is there anything special about them?” asked Hotaka.  
“Well,” said Shuji as he swallowed another nut, “According to the profile, the gauntlets give her super strength. All of her punches now have ten times the power.”  
“Wow,” said Hotaka, “How did she find them?”  
“Well, that’s an interesting story,” answered Shuji.  
The lone observer, who had begun to get up from his seat, suddenly paused, then sat back down cautiously, his gaze never leaving Shuji.  
“In addition to the profile, there were a few mission reports on the desk as well, all dealing with this girl,” stated Shuji, “I was able to look at one of them, though. It involved her and another shinobi looking for some missing ninjas. Apparently, this really muscular dude had been kidnapping them and brainwashing them through these special cages.”  
The mysterious figure quietly snorted, but nobody heard him.  
“Anyways, this muscular dude was the original owner of the lion gauntlets. He was able to kidnap the shinobi that the Hyuga girl had been with. But when he tried to kill the girl…Man, it was brutal.”  
“What happened?” asked Hotaka, who was on the edge of his seat in anticipation.  
“Well,” said Shuji. “First Muscle Man tries sending the mind-wiped shinobis at the girl, but she defeats them. Then, he puts on the lion heads and tries to deal with her himself. But the girl was able to get a paper bomb in the guy’s wrist, and blow off one of the lions. She takes it, and then uses it to deliver a punch that’s so hard, it popped the other lion right off of the guys hand. So, she takes the two lion gauntlets, and just proceeds to beat the sh*t out of the guy. There was even a photo of the him after the fight.”  
“How did he look?”  
“He…he was pinned beneath the floor. They were fighting on a stage by these cliffs, see, and apparently, during the fight he had literally picked up the floor and had tried to tip the girl over, only to have the her come out on top and knock the floor down onto him.”  
“That’s incredible. Did it kill him?”  
“No. I mean, yes, he died, but it wasn’t from the weight of the floor.”  
Shuji paused, the image of that picture going through his head. He quickly summoned a bar maid to get him a strong shot of sake before turning back to his friend.  
“She…She beat him to death, Hotaka. Just pounded him in the face over and over again with those darn lions. When I looked at where his head should have been, there was only this great red smear on the ground.”  
The bar maid appeared with Shuji’s drink, who quickly gulped it down while Hotaka processed what he had heard.  
“Wow,” said Hotaka after some thought, “That…that sounds brutal.”  
“Yes, it was,” said Shuji, “But eventually, the Hokage came and signed off on the delivery, so I had to leave. But I haven’t forgotten about that girl, and what she did to that guy. Maybe he deserved it. Maybe he didn’t. I can’t really say, but thinking that a person like that Hyuga could do something so rough…I saw her picture, Hotaka. She looks like a sweet young girl, can’t even be 20 years old, but if I had to sum up a person who crushes a man’s head into the ground in one word, then that word would have to be…savage.”  
Hotaka looked down at his drink and nodded slowly, then looked up and noticed someone standing behind Shuji.  
“Uh, Shuji? Speaking of savage…”  
Shuji followed his friend’s gaze, but was stopped when the stranger, who had been listening, grabbed the side of Shuji’s head and slammed it down into his bowl of nuts with enough force to break the ceramic.  
“AAAAAAAAAAAGH!” screamed Shuji as the salty shards dug into his face.  
“The girl,” growled an unfamiliar voice, “What is her name?”  
Everyone in the bar had turned to look at the scene. Hotaka started to get up, but his eyes met the assaulter’s, and he fell back down on his seat, his legs having turned to jelly.  
“I…what…” gasped Shuji, “What girl are you talking abouUOOOOW!”  
“You mentioned a girl who has the cesti! What is her name?” demanded the man as he pressed down on Shuji’s head.  
“Cesti? I don’t remember, I-” (The assaulter continued pressing down.) “AAAAH!”  
“Try,” snarled the man.  
“It…It was Hana…No, Hinta…um…” (The attacker began to growl.) “Wait! Wait!” screamed Shuji, “It’s Hinata! Her name is Hinata Hyuga!”  
“And where can I find Hinata Hyuga?” asked the man.  
“The Hidden Leaf!” wailed Shuji as his blood began to pool on the table, “A great distance to the East! Hinata Hyuga is in the Hidden Leaf Village!”  
The man let go of Shuji’s head, and Shuji sat up and began picking shards of bowl from his face. Hotaka stared at the attacker as he silently made his way out of the bar. Shuji, who now had half of his head all cut and bloody, looked up in time to see the man exit through the door.  
“H…Hotaka,” he moaned, clutching a napkin to the side of his face, “Who was that man? He almost crushed my head.”  
“I don’t know,” said Hotaka, who was still staring at the door, “But did you see those weird blades on his back? And what was with his skin? He was so…pale.”  
Indeed, everyone in the bar was frightened. Heck, if anyone were to walk in, that person would have thought these people had just seen a ghost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Five guesses as to who that was...


	6. Chapter 6

It was evening in the Hidden Leaf Village when a familiar group of shinobi entered through the gate.  
“Man,” laughed Naruto as he rested his hands against the back of his head, “That was some mission!”  
“It certainly pushed us to our limits, yes,” replied Sai with a fake grin.  
“At any rate, it’s done,” sighed Sakura, “Let’s check back in with the Hokage, and then I’m going to take a nice, long, hot bath.”  
“Really?” perked Naruto, “That sounds…fun. Think I can I join in?”  
As Sai observed Sakura’s reaction, he took out a notepad.  
Of the many activities that women partake in, he wrote, Bathing is one that they prefer to do in private. (He looked up for a moment, and then continued writing.) Therefore, do not ask to join a woman during her moment of cleansing, as they will respond to such invitations with excessive amounts of physical violence.  
“Back at last, I see,” said a familiar voice.  
Sai looked up from his notes, Naruto regained focus, and Sakura’s fist froze in mid-strike.  
“Kakashi-sensei!” she exclaimed.  
“I’m glad to see you’re all alive and well,” said Kakashi as he strolled up to his students. He stopped and looked down at Naruto. “Well, relatively well, at least.”  
“I’m okay,” said Naruto in a dazed voice.  
“Glad to hear it,” said Kakashi. He looked up at his students, “Sakura, I see you’re still as strong as ever.”  
“Thank you, Kakashi-sensei.”  
“And Sai, what are you writing?”  
“I have begun to realize that one of the best ways to learn about socialization is through observation, so I have begun taking notes on what I observe in others social interactions,” answered Sai.  
“Neat,” said Kakashi. “I had gotten your letter stating that you three had succeeded in your S-rank mission, so I thought I’d come and personally congratulate you all. The Hokage’s waiting for your report, as well.”  
“We’ll head there right away,” said Sakura.  
“Yeah,” agreed Naruto as he picked himself up, “Let’s go.”  
“Actually, Naruto, there’s somebody else that you need to see,” said Kakashi, “Neji has been waiting for you to return. He made a request to the Hokage that you be sent to him as soon as you returned, and she agreed.”  
“Really?” asked Naruto, “Grandma-Tsunade is pretty insistent on debriefing. What does Neji want that’s so important?”  
“I think it would be best if he told you himself,” replied Kakashi,  
“His wounds have healed from his ‘training match,’ so you can find him at the Hyuga household.”  
“Alright, I’ll head over there at once,” said Naruto as he began setting off, “Sai, make sure I sound cool during our report.”  
From what I’ve experienced during social activity, wrote Sai, There are a surprising amount of people who believe it good when they are in a state of lower temperature. This makes for a good compliment.

“Hey, Neji!” called Naruto.  
Neji looked up and saw Naruto heading towards him, grinning.  
“Naruto,” he said in a relieved voice, “Thank God you’re here! I don’t know what to do!”  
“You don’t-” Naruto stopped abruptly when he got closer to Neji, “…Say.”  
Neji didn’t look so well. There were dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, and several strands of his hair, which he usually kept tied behind his back, had come loose, giving him a disheveled appearance.  
“Neji, what’s wrong?” asked Naruto, “Have you gotten any sleep?”  
“Not really,” answered Neji, “There’s been a lot to deal with while you were gone.”  
“What happened while I was gone?” asked Naruto.  
Neji gazed at Naruto for a moment before finally answering, “It’s…Lady Hinata.”  
Naruto blinked. “Hinata? What’s she been up to?”  
“Actually, it’s what she hasn’t been up to,” answered Neji, “You remember her last mission, right?”  
“Yeah,” answered Naruto, “Something about there being several disappearances in the Land of Holes.”  
“Well, it turned out that the ‘disappeared’ had been eaten by a winged monster. Lady Hinata was able to kill it, but the event left her…shaken. Then Shino went and called her savage, which made her feel even more terrible.”  
“I didn’t say she was savage,” said a new voice.  
Naruto and Neji glanced at the voice’s direction and saw Shino walking up to them.  
“Hello, Naruto,” greeted Shino, “I had heard that you were back.”  
“You,” growled Neji, “I thought I told you to stay away from here.”  
“You cannot keep me away from my friend,” answered Shino.  
Neji started towards Shino, but Naruto stopped him.  
“Enough, Neji” he said, "I don't think he came here to fight."  
“He's right,” said Shino, “I didn't come here to fight you, Neji. I came to check on Hinata.”  
“Well, she still won’t leave her room,” said Neji.  
Shino sighed. “I had no idea she would take my words so harshly.”  
“What exactly did you say to her?” asked Naruto.  
“After the fight, I told her that whatever didn’t kill her, only made her savage.”  
“What the heck?!” exclaimed Naruto, “Why would you say something like that?”  
“Why, you ask?” answered Shino, “Because she pounded a man’s head into the floor, critically injured her cousin, and made a manticore’s stomach explode.”  
“Wait, what’s a manticore?” asked Naruto.  
“It’s a gigantic, winged, fire-breathing lion that has quills for a mane, a scorpion’s stinger for a tail, and gives asexual birth by regurgitating its young,” explained Shino in one breath.  
Naruto stared at Shino, unsure of what to say.  
“The point,” cut in Neji, “is that Lady Hinata has had to deal with quite a lot these days, and she has been feeling overwhelmed! Ever since her return, she has locked herself in her room and refuses to speak to anyone. We leave food by her door, but that is all.”  
“Can’t her Dad do anything?” asked Naruto, “He’s the leader of the Hyuga Clan.”  
Neji sighed. “Lord Hyuga tried to talk to her once with me. We stood outside her door for hours, talking to her. It seemed like he was about to break down the door. But then…” his voice trailed off as his expression became distant.  
“But then?” asked Naruto.  
“But then Hinata activated Neji’s cursed seal,” answered Shino.  
Naruto’s eyes widened. “What?”  
“It was an accident,” stated Neji. “She didn’t mean to do it. She just got angry.”  
“Once she realized what she had done, she started to cry,” said Shino sullenly, “I could hear her her from across the road. I can still hear it...”  
“That’s...terrible,” said Naruto.  
“Anyways, I think you might be the only one who can talk to her, Naruto,” stated Neji.  
“Really? What makes you think that she’ll listen to me?” asked Naruto.  
“Um...well,” said Neji, as he looked toward the ground, “She...has always admired you.”  
Shino glanced at Neji, “Are you okay?”  
“I’m fine.”  
“You seem bothered by the fact that Hinata admires Naruto.”  
“Be quiet.”  
“Do you wish that she would ‘admire’ you?”  
“I SAID-”  
“Calm down, Neji,” interrupted Naruto, “Hinata admires you a great deal. And she has always acted really nervous around me, so it’s no surprise that she admires me, too. I guess we’re both pretty admirable.”  
Shino quietly smirked, while Neji could only stare at Naruto.  
“Just...talk to her...please,” he growled.  
"Of course," said Naruto. He knocked on the door.  
"Hinata?”  
No reply.  
"Hinata, it's Naruto. Listen, Neji and Shino told me what happened to you. Can you open the door? Please?"  
The seemingly endless silence, but then...  
The door opened, but it wasn't Hinata. It was her younger sister, Hanabi. She looked up at Naruto. She didn't say anything, but she nodded for Naruto to come in.

Naruto looked around as Hanabi closed the door behind him. Hinata's room seemed reasonably well kept, but then his gaze shifted to the bed and his heart stopped.  
Hinata sat on her bed, but she was in a state that Naruto had never before seen her in. She was wearing nothing but underwear, which made sense for time in bed, however, she seemed to have been in bed for quite a while. Ulcers had started to form on her back from lying down too much. Her underwear was dirty, as though she'd slept with it for a week straight. There were scabs on her forearms where the cesti connected, and judging by the dried blood on the lion's fangs, Naruto correctly guessed that Hinata had tried to use the cesti to remove the cesti. It was a miracle that she hadn't torn off her arms. Her hair was completely disheveled, and covered much of her face, but Naruto could still see her left eye. Its look was the same that he’d had when he was locked up in that nightmarish cage: The eyes of someone who had been defeated. Broken.  
“Hinata?” he called out.  
Hinata slowly looked up at him, her expression unchanging.  
“Hello, Naruto,” she said in a flat tone.  
“Hinata, what happened to you?” asked Naruto in a shocked tone, “Neji and Shino told me that you weren’t feeling too well. Then you locked yourself in your room and didn’t speak to anyone...What did this to you?”  
“I did,” said Hinata. She stared down at her cesti, “Ever since I put these things on, I’ve slowly been turning myself into a savage beast. A monster of carnage and blood. I always wanted to be a strong shinobi, But never through this…” As she spoke, a note of pain crept into her voice.  
“But Hinata,” said Naruto, “You’re not savage. You can’t let Shino’s words let you down.”  
Hinata’s eyes slightly narrowed, “I noticed this long before Shino did. Do you remember how I defeated Hercules?”  
“Yeah,” said Naruto, “Of course I remember. You punched him in the head a few times.”  
“No,” said Hinata, “I pounded his head into the ground until it was just a giant red stain. I had never done something like that in my life. What kind of person does something like that?”  
“Well, those lions did give you a considerable boost in strength,” replied Naruto.  
"And then, I made a giant monster’s stomach explode, and after that, I nearly crushed one of its cubs with my foot. I didn't even think about it. It was...automatic."  
"You were stressed, Hinata. It was the heat of battle."  
Hinata shook her head, “It wasn’t just during missions. I hospitalized Neji during a mere sparring session. And when he tried talking to me after the mission, I just wanted to be left alone. And then I, then I…”  
Her voice choked away into sobs.  
Naruto lowered his head. He felt reluctant to press on, but knew that Hinata needed to hear this.  
“Hinata,” he began, “I’ve known you for a long time. How you describe yourself...That isn’t who you are! You’re a good person, Hinata! I’ve always known that! What you’re going through may frighten you, but I know that there will be a way around it. You need to believe in who you are!”  
“But who am I?” wept Hinata, “Everytime I fight, I always end up causing some gruesome spectacle. It’s like I have some hideous thing inside of me, and I can’t control it!”  
She waited for Naruto to respond, and when he didn’t answer, she turned to look at him, and saw that his expression had become distant.  
“Naruto?” she said.  
After a moment, Naruto spoke.  
“Hinata,” he said, “I know what it is that you’re going through. And I know that there’s a way around it. I know this because I’ve been working my way around the same situation that you’re in.”  
Naruto looked down at his stomach.  
“I have the Nine-tailed Fox in me,” he stated, “A creature of great power and rage. When I was a kid, I remembered nothing but angry faces, and angrier words. Except for you.”  
He turned his gaze to Hinata.  
“Hinata, I don’t know why, but for some reason, you were always acting differently toward me. I’d see you hiding behind a tree, or a bush, and you would always stare at me. When I was a young, everyone would give me this same, angry stare, but you, Hinata...Your stare was different. It had something in it. Something that wasn’t angry, but soft. It was a nice change of pace. It made me feel like I actually belonged.”  
Hinata didn’t know what to say. She didn’t even know what to feel.  
Naruto continued, “Eventually, I started seeing gentle stares in other people, too. Life started to seem friendly, and I found it in me to work with the Nine-Tails. Pervy-Sage taught me how to wield its chakra, and though there were a few difficulties, I know that one day, I’ll have this whole jinchuuriki thing under control, just as you can control your new abilities. And I know you can do it. You just can’t give into despair. If you don’t control your power, it’ll control you. But I know you’ll beat it, Hinata, because you’re strong. You’re strong and kind.”  
Now it was Hinata who was failing to reply. Naruto just sat next to her, waiting. After a moment she spoke.  
“Naruto.”  
“I’m here, Hinata.”  
“Naruto.” Hinata was trembling.  
“Yeah, Hinata?’  
Hinata suddenly flung her arms around Naruto (nearly crushing him with her cesti,) and her dug head into his shoulder.  
“NARUTOOOO!” she sobbed.  
Stunned at first, Naruto slowly hugged her back, and let her get it out.  
Standing in a dark corner, Hanabi watched the whole thing. She nearly cried, herself.  
A few days later, Naruto and Neji gathered by the front gate, where they were met by someone.  
“Grandma Tsunade!” exclaimed Naruto, “What brings you here?”  
“Just here to see you all off,” replied Tsunade, “But I think someone’s missing.”  
“Sorry I’m late, I was speaking with Shino,” said a new voice.  
Hinata walked up to the group, her cesti gleaming in the sun. She had cleaned up, and seemed to be radiating with a more positive energy.  
“Lady Hinata,” gasped Neji, “It’s good to see you outside. What made you come around?”  
Hinata looked over at Naruto.  
“I had the right encouragement,” she replied.  
Naruto grinned.  
“Now that you’ve all assembled,” said Tsunade, “I trust that you’re ready to head out. Do you know the mission?”  
“Investigate the sightings of a mysterious creature?” asked Hinata.  
“That’s right,” said Tsunade. She turned to Hinata, “Are you sure you want to do this, Hianata? I know I allowed you to choose your own mission, as well as your own team to lead, but this mission is awfully similar to your previous one.”  
“It is, and it succeeded through teamwork, and my abilities,” said Hinata. She looked down at her cesti, “I never asked for these lions, but now that I have them, I will find a way to control their power.”  
She looked up at her teammates and smiled. “Let’s do this!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. When I first started writing this fanfic, I had no idea that there would be so much drama, especially for a God of War crossover. I guess when you put characters in situations, and you want them to remain in character, the story sort of writes itself. I wonder if any other fanfic writers can relate. Anyways, the next chapter really will be the final one, I promise there will be action, and please consider a review.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter: It's finally here.

"Lady Hokage."

Tsunade looked up from her paperwork to see who had come into her office. She smiled.

"Takuma. Glad to see you're doing well," She paused, noticing the Hyuga's troubled expression, "What's wrong?"

"We just received word that your deliveryman, Shuji Watanabe, was assaulted in a bar in the Land of Drink."

Tsunade frowned. She often ordered her more expensive saké from the Land of Drink, which was renown across the Five Nations as one of the best producers of alcohol. It was on the other side of the country though, but Shuji often made successful deliveries.

"That is unfortunate, Takuma," replied Tsunade, "but I fail to see how this concerns me."

"There's more," answered Takuma, "The person who assaulted him wanted information regarding Lady Hinata and her lion gauntlets."

Tsunade's eyes widened. "What? But how would Shuji have-"

She stopped mid sentence. Of course! Shuji had delivered some saké a while ago, when she was [UPDATING](https://www.fanfiction.net/docs/edit.php?docid=42771447#) Hinata's recent mission and profile. She had left the file on her desk, gone out for a moment, and instructed that Shuji wait in her office. When she had returned, those files had slightly shifted location…

"Damn it," she muttered under her breath.

"Excuse me?" said Takuma.

Tsunade looked up, "Shuji must have read Hinata's files on my desk. How did the assailant know that Shuji knew?"

"He was discussing it with a friend at the time," answered Takuma, "The attacker must have heard."

"What did the assailant find out?"

"Hinata's name, her possession of the lion heads, and the fact that she lives in the Hidden Leaf Village."

"Does the assailant know where the Hidden Leaf Village is located?"

"Shuji told him it was 'a great distance to the East.' That must have been good enough, because the man left after hearing it."

Tsunade gritted her teeth. She already knew that since this had happened in the far West, then it would have taken a long time for this information to reach the Hidden Leaf. The person who had attacked Shuji could have made it across country if he had hurried.

"Is Lady Hinata still out on her mission?" asked Takuma.

"Yes," answered Tsunade. It had been a few days since Hinata, Naruto, and Neji had left the Hidden Leaf Village. There mission had taken them West, and if the person who attacked Shuji reached Hinata…

"Takuma, assemble a four-man and head out to the mountains where Hinata and her team were going," ordered Tsunade, "Once you find them, bring them back to the Village."

"Yes, Lady Hokage."

Tsunade suddenly realized she had forgotten one crucial detail.

"Takuma, what did the assailant look like?"

Takuma's eyes widened, "I forgot! There was a colored sketch based on the witness's sightings. I have it with me!"

He pulled out a sheet and handed it to Tsunade, who took the paper and studied the drawing. She frowned.

"This is what he looked like?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"To the exact detail?"

"Everyone at the scene agreed that the drawing was precise."

"Then what's wrong with his skin? He looks paler than Orochimaru."

* * *

Hinata paused and looked up at the towering mountain.

"Alright, we're here."

"So, this is where people have been disappearing?" asked Naruto as he looked around, "What would people even be doing at this mountain?"

"It's a popular hiking trail around these parts," answered Neji, "Though the recent disappearances have made the trail less and less popular."

"What do you think could be the cause this time?" asked Naruto.

"Hopefully, it won't be another monster," answered Neji, "but we should still be careful."

Hinata nodded. She had been doing a good job in leading the mission so far, but they had only had been travelling, and had just arrived at the mountain. The real mission had just begun.

"It's getting late," she said, "Let's cover a bit more ground, and then set up camp somewhere, but have someone keep watch. If it is another monster, we don't want it to surprise us."

They hiked up a little further before finding a cave to set up camp. It had gotten dark by then, so they set up a fire. Neji helped pitch Hinata's tent. The high altitude of the mountain was cold, so Hinata sat near the fire while Naruto kept watch. As Hinata settled down, Neji came up to her.

"Do you mind if I sit down, Lady Hinata?"

"Of course you can, Neji," answered Hinata, and Neji sat down across from her around the fire. It had been a while since Neji had started treating her so formally, but that was to be expected from a servant of the Hyuga Clan, even if that servant was a genius. Though Hinata felt slightly bad that Neji insisted on being so formal, she had to admit that it was better than the cold glares that he used to give to her. But ever since his fight with Naruto, he had stopped resenting her so much. Hinata could tell that he still felt bad.

 _He truly regrets hurting me in the Chuunin Exams, just as I regret activating his seal_. thought Hinata.

She thought back to her tearful apology after her talk with Naruto, to how Neji so willingly forgave her, even insisting that he was partly to blame for not leaving her be.

 _I hope one day he can find it in him to forgive himself, just as he so willingly forgave me_.

After a short moment, Neji spoke.

"Lady Hinata, if I may ask, why did you choose a mission that bore such close resemblance to your previous one, which left you in quite a state?"

Hinata looked up from the fire to her cousin.

"To be honest, Neji, I felt like I could have handled myself better during that last mission," she glanced at her cesti, which took up a whole side of the campfire, "I felt like I could have wielded these lion heads better."

"Personally, I think you did a great job," said Naruto as he came up to the fire.

Hinata blushed, "Thank you, Naruto."

"Naruto, why aren't you keeping guard?" demanded Neji.

"It's okay," said Naruto. He pointed behind him, "I have a shadow clone keeping watch at the entrance."

Hinata and Neji glanced at the clone, who waved at them. Naruto waved back.

"You see? He's got us covered."

Ignoring Neji's sigh, Naruto sat down near the fire, where he studied Hinata's cesti.

"Have they still not found a way to remove those things?" he asked.

"They haven't," answered Hinata, gazing at the lion heads as they reflected the bright flames, "I've worn these things for so long, that I can barely remember what it's like to hold something. Sometimes, I rub my fingers together, just to remind myself that I still have hands."

"We'll find a way to get them off," assured Neji.

"I hope so," said Hinata.

"But when you do, you should still keep them around," said Naruto, "Those lions pack quite a punch. Literally!"

Hinata smiled softly at that.

"By the way," continued Naruto, "What made you think that you could have done a better job at killing that capricorn?"

"Manticore."

"Whatever, Neji."

Hinata looked at Naruto, touched by his concern.

"Well, Naruto," she explained, "I was able to kill the manticore, but I believe things could have gone smoother. None of us were prepared for the beast, Kiba and Akamaru got wounded, and Shino lost many of his beetles. Things got out of hand."

"But you all survived," said Naruto, "I mean, everyone except Shino's bugs, but he can always make more. You also succeeded in your mission."

"But I nearly lost myself in the carnage," said Hinata.

"And you came back," countered Naruto, "The point that I'm trying to make, Hinata, is that nothing rarely goes according to plan. You and your team went up against a completely unpredictable force, and you still triumphed. That shows how strong you are Hinata: Staring into the unknown and then kicking its ass!"

Neji didn't think he would have put it in such a term, but he had to admit that Naruto had made a point. And he could tell that what Naruto was saying made Hinata feel better by the way she blushed and smiled. Naruto had his idiotic moments, but he gave good pep talks.

 _Amazing,_  thought Neji,  _that someone can be so dumb and yet so wise._

* * *

The next morning, the group got up and continued on there way, hiking further up the mountain. Eventually, Naruto got the idea to send out some shadow clones, which Hinata approved. Afterwards, Naruto got bored and began telling Hinata and Neji about his last mission.

"And so, we find this temple on the outskirts of the town, where people were delivering their offerings," stated Naruto as Neji and Hinata listened, "We go in, and we find this guy, but on his chest was this-"

Hinata turned to Naruto, who had stopped mid speech, "Naruto? What's wrong?"

Naruto glanced over at Hinata and Neji.

"Uh, one of my shadow clones just saw something," he said, "Does this mountain get any ice caps?"

"No," answered Neji, "It's altitude isn't high enough. Why? Did your Shadow Clone find any ice?"

"That wasn't all he found," said Naruto before turning and racing up the trail, "Follow me!"

Hinata and Neji followed Naruto towards the location of where the clone had vanished, stopping only when they had reached the destination. There they stopped and stared in silent horror.

What they saw was a man frozen in a chunk of ice, with only his limp hand sticking out. The man was clearly dead, as his hand had decayed, which looked completely mismatched with his more preserved body. But what was more terrifying was the man's expression of sheer terror. His eyes were wide, his mouth was open mid scream, even the tiny hairs on the back of his neck were frozen up. The man had literally been frozen in fear.

"Who could have done this?" whispered Hinata.

"I'm more curious as to  _what_  could have done this," replied Naruto.

"Relax," said Neji, "This must be some sort of ice jutsu. Someone must be practicing there ninjutsu on unwary hikers."

"I don't know, Neji," said Naruto as he gave the frozen cadaver another uneasy gaze, "Something doesn't feel right about this."

"Whatever it is," said Hinata, "It wasn't just ice. Look at his leg; it's been burned."

"Hey, you're right," said Naruto, "but why is it bent out like that?"

"It looks like he was dragging it," said Neji, "Which is strange, because the burns don't look that severe."

"So, this man got taken down by fire and ice?" asked Naruto.

"This wasn't fire," said Hinata, "These are chemical burns."

"You can tell the difference?" exclaimed Naruto, "That's pretty sharp, Hinata."

Hinata blushed.

"But since when do shinobis use acid?" asked Naruto, "And why was he dragging his leg if it wasn't that burnt?"

"Let's find who did this," said Hinata, "And then we'll know."

Naruto suddenly looked up.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" asked Hinata.

"My other shadow clone just vanished," answered Naruto, "It was attacked!"

"Where was it?" asked Neji.

"It was on the other side of the frozen-"

"HISSSSSSS!"

From the other side of the ice chunk slithered a gigantic, hissing, teal snake with glowing eyes. The group had barely registered it before it opened its mouth wide and lunged at Hinata. Hinata raised her cestus in front of and the snake bit down on the lion head, breaking its fangs off on the metal.

"Eight Trigrams, Air Palm!" yelled Neji, and the blast of wind sent the snake hurtling back to the other side of the ice.

"You alright, Hinata?" asked Naruto.

"I'm okay," said Hinata as she glanced down at the giant, broken fangs, "Just a bit shaken."

Her cestus remained undamaged from the bite.

Hearing a gasp, Hinata and Naruto turned towards Neji, who had activated his Byakugan. He looked shocked by what he saw.

"What do you see, Neji?" asked Naruto.

Before Neji could speak, the ice shattered, and then Naruto had his question answered for him.

It was about as big as the manticore, and just as sinister. That first thing that Hinata noticed were the heads. Both of them, one on top of the other. The top one looked like a goat's, but it was a far more savage goat head than Hinata had ever seen. It had fangs for teeth, and its eyes were two glowing orbs of malice. Four horns stuck out from its head. The one in the very front was as long as a mans hand, which, when compared to the size of the beast, was not very large. But the other three that stretched out behind the goats head were massive, about as long as an average human.

Beneath the goat's head was the head of a lion, and though its eyes didn't glow, they were still filled with malice. It's body also seemed to resemble a lions more or less, but its legs, which were covered in blue scales, were unusual. The front legs vaguely resembled an eagles, but had five talons shaped into human-like hands. The back two were hooves, like a goats, only with scales. And Hinata definitely saw the snake, which she now realized was actually the tail of the beast. Strangely, the snake's eyes were no longer glowing.

The beast snarled, but before it could attack, Naruto charged, thrusting a ball of chakra at it.

"Rasengan!" he yelled, and the blast sent the beast over the mountain's edge.

Coming out of her shock, Hinata looked up at Naruto.

"Did you kill it?" she asked. Naruto glanced over the ledge.

"No," he breathed, "It's starting to climb back up. Man, what is this thing?"

Neji walked up and stared down at the beast.

"A chimaera," he replied.

"A what?" asked Naruto.

"A chimaera," repeated Neji, "My father once told me about it, although he told me it was but a legend."

"Well," said Naruto, "I guess fact and fiction have to merge at some point."

"That's not the issue at hand," said Neji. He turned to Hinata, "Lady Hinata, how do you suggest we handle this threat?"

Coming out of her shock of nearly being killed by a three-headed beast, looked up at Naruto and Neji. They expected her to have a plan, to figure out a way to beat this chimaera. She couldn't let them down. Even if it she was unsure, she couldn't show it.

"We can't fight it here," she said, "The path is too narrow."

Naruto glanced down.

"There's a small circular area down below us," he said, "If we can force the chimaera down, then we can have more room to fight it."

"Okay," said Hinata, "But how do we get it down?"

"We need to strategize," said Neji, "If we stay patient and lay out a proper tactic, then we can-"

"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" yelled Naruto, and a couple dozen shadow clones appeared.

"CHARGE!" they yelled, and they leapt over the edge like a group of lemmings.

Neji sighed.

"I just told Naruto Uzumaki to be patient," he muttered, "What is wrong with me?"

"Let's help him," said Hinata, and she dropped over the edge and ran down the side of the mountain, her chakra'd soles preventing her from falling.

Naruto's shadow clones were all over the chimaera by the time Hinata and Neji arrived, and it seemed like they were winning. But suddenly, the chimaera opened its mouth and let loose with an icy blast. Giant icicles appeared from wherever its breath hit, and several shadow clones vanished from the blast.

"Dang!" yelled Naruto, "Hey, Neji! Did your Dad forget to tell you that this thing breathes ice?"

"Actually, he said it breathed fire," answered Neji, "But either way, I don't think we can get near it."

"I've got this," said Hinata, and she sent her cestus shooting out from her forearm, where it successfully landed a blow on the chimaera and sent it falling to the ground below. The chain reeled the lion head back onto her forearm.

"Woah," said Naruto as he stared at Hinata's cestus in surprise, "I, um, forgot they could do that."

"Come on," said Neji, "now that it's grounded, we have a better chance of beating it."

The group ran down the rest of the mountainside to fight the chimaera.

"Lady Hinata, what's your plan?"

"My plan," said Hinata as she struggled to think, "Um, Neji try to attack it from the left side. Naruto, use your shadow clones to try and flank it from the right. I'll take it head on."

"More like  _heads_  on," said Naruto as he glanced uneasily at the beast's three heads.

"Not now, Naruto!" snapped Neji as he started to circle the chimaera.

"Be careful, Hinata!" yelled Naruto as he and his clones headed out to the right.

Bracing herself, Hinata charged at the chimaera, which snarled at the assault. Looking around at its opponents, its gaze focused on Naruto and his clones. Opening its mouth, the chimaera let loose with an icy blast that enveloped most of the Narutos Hinata didn't expect this, and she barely had time to react when the chimaera turned its blast toward her. Darting to the side, Hinata felt a freezing cold sensation sweep through her legs. Looking behind her, she saw that her legs had been frozen solid by the chimaera's blast. She couldn't move them.

"Hinata, you okay?" called out Naruto.

Looking up, Hinata saw that the chimaera had created an icy arc that was about eight feet tall and six feet wide when it had turned its heads toward her, and she was stuck on one end. On the other end was Naruto and his shadow clones, most of which had vanished when they were frozen solid. All that remained were hollow Naruto-shaped bubbles that were filled with smoke. As for Naruto, he too had been frozen, except for his head and right arm, which stuck out from the other side of the curve.

"Neji, I hope you're doing better," called out Naruto.

Neji gritted his teeth in frustration. In a few minutes, this beast had managed to incapacitate Naruto and Hinata. He had to keep it focused on him before the chimaera finished them off.

 _I have to keep all three heads distracted,_  he thought,  _But how do I thaw out Hinata and Naruto?_

The chimaera bared its fangs and charged. Thinking fast, Neji dove aside, but the snake tails eyes began to glow, and it struck, biting down on his leg.

"Neji!" cried Hinata.

"It's alright," answered Neji, "Its fangs are broken. It can't bite me-"

The snake tail jerked back pulling Neji up from his feet, then whipped forward and let go, throwing him hard into the ground. Before Hinata could yell Neji's name again, the snake tail opened its mouth and sprayed Neji with a green, bubbling venom. Neji yelled in pain.

"NO!" screamed Hinata. Drawing back her arms, she slammed against the ice, which shattered, freeing her legs. Scrambling to her feet, Hinata ran at the chimaera, which only had enough time to look up from Neji before several cesti-powered punches sent it flying into the side of the mountain. Running over to Neji's side, Hinata dragged him out from the bubbling puddle of venom before examining her cousin. Neji didn't look good. Most of his body had been burned by the chimaeras venom, and there was another problem.

"I...can't move," grunted Neji, "The venom, it paralyzed me."

"Hinata!" yelled Naruto, "The chimaera is getting back up!"

"I'll be fine, Lady Hinata," said Neji, "Just keep the chimaera occupied."

Hinata wanted to say something, but the chimaeras roar forced her attention away from her cousin. The chimaera was back on its feet, but this time, the lion's eyes were glowing. It snarled, then stood up on its hind feet.

 _The head that's in control has glowing eyes,_  realized Hinata,  _When its on four legs, the goats in control, when it uses its tail, it's the snake, and when it's the lion, it's bipedal._

She gazed up at the chimaera, which stood taller than Hercules.

_And now, it's bipedal._

The chimaera, roared, then ran at Hinata, slashing its claws. Amazed by its speed, Hinata darted back, leading the beast away from her fallen cousin. The chimaera sent out a few more ice blasts, forming giant icicles wherever they struck. Hinata darted around these, all while struggling to come up with a plan.

* * *

Watching Hinata's fight, Naruto gritted his teeth in frustration.

 _I should be out there helping her,_ he thought as he struggled,  _But I can't...freaking...move!_

Noticing something out of the corner of his eye, he turned his head and saw a shadow clone that hadn't been frozen. This gave him an idea.

"Hey!" said Naruto, "I need to get out of here!"

He held out his right arm towards the clone, "Give me some chakra!"

"Got it," said the clone, and he began channeling chakra to Naruto's hand, molding a ball of energy. Once done, the clone vanished.

"Rasengan!" yelled Naruto, and he slammed the ball of chakra down onto the ice that was over his body. Shards of ice went flying everywhere as the Rasengan began to drill into it, and Naruto had to turn his head away to avoid getting cut by the splintered ice.

"Hinata!" he yelled over the surprisingly loud sound of breaking ice, "I'm getting out! Just hold on!"

Seeing Naruto breaking out lifted Hinata's spirit, but she was still on her own until Naruto fully broke free. If she could just hold out long enough…

The chimaera sent out another blast of ice, and Hinata could feel the chill as she narrowly avoided it. She fought back, and even managed to successfully land in a few volleys, but found it extremely difficult to fight the chimaera when it was on its hind legs.

 _At this rate, I'm going to lose,_  thought Hinata,  _I need to get it back down on all fours, so I better take out the lion head. Hopefully, that will force it down on all of its legs._

To make matters worse, Naruto ran into a problem.

"Dang it!" he yelled, "Hinata! My Rasengan vanished! I must have used up all of the chakra!"

Glancing over, Hinata saw that Naruto had managed to drill deep enough to expose his chest and arm, but his left hand and knees were still encased in ice.

 _I need his help to beat this thing,_ thought Hinata, _But I can't back down from the chimaera, or it'll attack Neji. What if…_

An idea began to form in Hinata's head. It was a huge risk, and Naruto might get hurt, but she had to give it a try.

As she fought the manticore, she slowly began to back up towards Naruto, drawing the chimaera towards his direction. Once the chimaera was as near to him as Hinata felt comfortable with, she sent her cesti out from her wrist in a sweep, where it hit the chimaera's legs and sent it sprawling. Rushing up to the chimaera's front, she used the mouths of her cesti to dig into the chimaeras head, turned around toward the ice, and then, with a strength that only could have come from the cesti and sheer will, flipped the giant beast over her shoulder and sent it smashing down onto the ice right next to Naruto, which shattered against the force of the flip and freed his hand and knees.

Before the chimaera could even get up, Hinata raised her cestus and smashed it against the chimaera's lion head. She did this once, twice, three times, until the serpent tail began to whip around, and she was forced to retreat.

As she backed away from the chimaera, Naruto ran up to her side.

"Naruto, are you alright?" asked Hinata.

"Yeah, I'm fine," panted Naruto, "I think my heart may have stopped when you smashed that chimaera against the ice right next to me, but other then that, I'm alright."

"I'm sorry," said Hinata, "But I couldn't break away from the chimaera to free you."

"I understand," said Naruto, "But now what?"

They gazed at the chimaera as it regained its feet. Its lion head was completely caved in by Hinata's cesti, and as she had hoped, the glowing-eyed goat head was back in control. Now that it was back on all four legs, it would be easier to take on.

"Naruto, we need to force the chimaera back against the mountain side," said Hinata.

"Why? What's over there?" asked Naruto.

Hinata pointed upward, and Naruto's gaze followed her direction. Apprehension dawned on his face as he realized what Hinata had planned.

"You can do that?" he asked.

"I think so," answered Hinata.

"Then let's do it!"

As the chimaera prepared to charge, Naruto created a shadow clone, which began generating a rasengan in his palm. Together, he and Hinata charged toward the chimaera, who let out an icy blast. It aimed toward the ground, causing giant, pointed icicles to burst from the ground, but Hinata and Naruto darted to either side of the icy spikes and converged upon the chimaera. Before the beast could respond, the two shinobi attacked, and both the cesti and the rasengan connected with the chimaera.

The force sent it flying back with blinding speed, where it smashed into the mountain wall. Before it could get up, Hinata sent her cesti out by the chain, where it went above the chimaera and hit its target right beneath the giant overhang that hung over the chimaera. Cracks formed around the base of the rock, and the overhang broke off from the cliff and fell right onto the chimaera, crushing it beneath the stone.

Hinata and Naruto hesitated. The Chimaera's front paws stuck out from the overhang, as did the snaketail. The rest had been crushed.

* * *

As Hinata and Naruto made their way towards the crushed chimaera, Neji struggled to turn his head. While Hinata and Naruto had been fighting the chimaera, he had been lying on the ground, burnt and paralyzed, facing away from the fight and being unable to move, which annoyed him to no end.

 _Lady Hinata and Naruto are fighting while I'm just lying here,_  he angrily thought,  _Never have I felt so useless!_

His train of thought broke when he heard footsteps coming toward him.

"Lady Hinata, is that you?" he called out, "Or is it Naruto?"

The stopped right next to him, on the other side of his gaze. Silence.

"Did you defeat the chimaera? Answer me."

Nothing.

"Byakugan!" said Neji, activating his jutsu to see what was wrong. Through the all seeing eye, he looked behind him and up at the person. He gasped.

This person wasn't Hinata.

This person wasn't Naruto.

Neji opened his mouth to warn his team, but before he could yell, the figure swooped down and jammed a rock into Neji's mouth, gagging him.

"Mmmm!" said Neji.

"Quiet, boy," said the person in a deep voice.

The stranger turned and quietly headed towards Hinata and Naruto, leaving Neji behind.

"Mmmm hmnmhm! MMMM HMNMHM!" yelled Neji, but to no avail.

* * *

Hinata and Naruto carefully approached the crushed chimaera. There they stopped and stared at what they had done.

"I think it's dead," said Hinata

"I guess you're right," said Naruto. He turned toward Hinata. "I gotta say, Hinata, that was a pretty awesome plan! Get it under the overhang, and then break it off to crush this beast to death. Awesome!"

Hinata blushed, "Th-thank you, Naruto."

Naruto glanced at Hinata curiously.

"Hinata," he said, "I've been meaning to ask, why does your face always get so red when I'm around? Do I make you uncomfortable?"

"What?" gasped Hinata as her face went even redder, "N-No! Not at all!"

"Then what is it?" asked Naruto.

Hinata struggled for an answer as her brain began to overload, "It's...It's…"

"HISSSS!"

The snake tail suddenly shot forward, its eyes glowing savagely. Before Hinata and Naruto could react, the serpent had sprayed them both with burning venom. unable to move, they both fell to the ground, and Hinata could only watch as Naruto smashed his head against a rock.

"UUUUUH!" yelled Hinata, but her mouth had been open when she had been sprayed, and she could no longer move her tongue.

Naruto didn't speak. His head was bleeding.

Hearing a hiss, Hinata managed to turn her eyes up to see the giant snake hovering above her. Despite the rest of the chimaera being crushed to death by the stone, the snake tail was still alive, all because it had not been crushed. She should have been more careful.

The snake opened its mouth wide. It had no teeth, but could still swallow her whole. Tears began streaming down Hinata's face as she stared one more time at the boy beside her.

_Goodbye, Naruto._

SCHLOCK!

Looking up, Hinata had just enough time to register the snake's severed head before it landed hard on her own, and she blacked out.

* * *

"So you are Hinata Hyuga."

The deep voice caused Hinata to slowly regain focus. The snake's head was to her side, as if someone had moved it off of her. Glancing around, she saw a figure standing just out of her view. A tall, muscular male that was red and white, with something on his back that looked like blades. He was also holding something large in each hand. That was all she could see, not even his face. She tried activating her Byakugan, but the veins on her temples were also paralyzed. She couldn't move anything except her hands.

Her hands!

Glancing at her forearms, she could see her own hands, moving aimlessly.

Her cesti had been removed!

Hinata glanced up at the man, who nodded solemnly.

"Yes," said the man in that same rough, deep voice, "I have removed the Nemean Cesti."

It was then that Hinata realized what the man was holding: Her cesti!

"I watched you and your comrades battle the chimaera," continued the man, "I had thought that it would kill you all, but you held out longer than I thought. I am somewhat impressed, Hinata Hyuga."

He looked at the cesti in his hands.

"I have traveled far and wide in search of these cesti. My quest has taken me into lands that lay beyond the influence of the Gods. My brother Hercules did go far."

Hinata's eyes widened.  _Hercules? Brother?_

"I was surprised when I found out that he had been killed. You saved me a great deal of effort in defeating him for me, Hinata Hyuga. Now I can bring these cesti to my master Ares, as he instructed me."

He paused for a moment, and when he continued speaking, his voice was filled with barely concealed rage.

"But you know what, Hinata Hyuga? I loathe Ares for what he made me do! It is because of him that my wife and daughter are dead, and their ashes forever cling to my skin!"

Hinata suddenly realized why the man's skin was so white. A shiver ran down her spine.

"I despise Ares, and though I may serve him, I will wait for the chance to extract my revenge! Athena may already have an idea. If I can open Pandora's Box, then just maybe I can find peace..."

His voice temporarily trailed off into thought, then he stared back down at Hinata.

"I do not know why I tell you all this," he sniffed, "It is not like me to be sentimental, but I will tell you one more thing, Hinata Hyuga. In the time you've had them, you have wielded these cesti like a true warrior. You were able to defeat my brother, a chimaera, and from what I hear, a manticore as well."

Hinata had no idea how this man knew all of this, but she was too busy listening to wonder.

"Lord Ares instructed me to bring to him the Nemean Cesti," continued the man, "And bring it I will, but I have transferred its power to you, Hinata Hyuga. Use it well."

Hinata would have been stunned by this mans words if the venom wasn't already doing the job. She had the cesti's power? What did he mean?

The man got down on one knee and leaned in towards her.

"Once you have healed," he said, "Discover the power of the Twin Lion Fists."

The man suddenly stood up, and he looked past Hinata.

"People are coming," he said, "I must leave. Farewell, Hinata Hyuga."

* * *

With that, the man turned and ran off with the cesti. Hinata tried once more to move, but to no avail. Her head began to pound, and she felt herself beginning to blackout again. She thought she could hear voices calling her name, but then there was only darkness.

Much later, Hinata woke up in a hospital bed. Looking around, she saw that her burns had been bandaged and that she was not alone. To her left were Naruto and Neji, both bandaged and in bed like her.

"Hinata!" said Naruto happily, "You're finally awake!"

"Are you alright, Lady Hinata?" asked Neji.

"I'm fine," answered Hinata, "What about you two?"

Naruto grinned. "I'm alright," he said, "I cracked my skull, but I'll pull through."

"And you Neji?"

"I'm alright, Lady Hinata," answered Neji, "The chimaera's venom only had a temporary effect."

Hinata looked around her room. "Are we back in the Hidden Leaf Village?"

"Yes," said Neji, "The Hokage sent some Takuma and some other shinobi to retrieve us."

"Hey, Hinata," piped up Naruto, "What happened to your lion heads?"

Hinata glanced at her arms and her eyes widened as she remembered what had happened, "My lion heads! He took them!"

"Who took them?" asked Naruto.

"It was this man," said Hinata, "He must have snuck up on us."

"I would have warned you," said Neji, "But the man gagged me before I could shout. Forgive me, Lady Hinata."

"It's alright," said Hinata, "You don't need to blame yourself."

The door opened and Tsunade walked in.

"Good," she said as she looked at the three of them, "You're all awake. Maybe now you can tell me what the hell happened out there."

"Good to see you, too, Grandma-Tsunade," said Naruto.

"Can it!" snapped Tsunade, "When my retrieval team found you, they reported that two of you had been knocked out, one of you had been gagged, a monster had been crushed beneath rocks, and somehow, there was ice on a lower part of a mountain. And to top it off, Hinata, your lion heads, which had been stuck on you for months, are now gone, presumably stolen! Do any of you know how much paperwork you have caused?!"

"Uh...well," said Naruto, "Was that one of those questions that we're not supposed to answer?"

Tsunade sighed. "Nevermind," she said, "Just tell me what happened."

They explained what happened. When they reached Hinata's confrontation with the mysterious man, Tsunade took out a drawing.

"This man that took your cesti, did he look like this?" asked Tsunade as she showed Hinata the drawing."

"Well, I couldn't see his face," answered Hinata, "But that does look like him."

"Where did you get that picture?" asked Neji.

"It was a drawing of a man who assaulted someone in the Land of Drink some time ago," said Tsunade, "This man was a courier who saw Hinata's file, and the fool was talking about it with a friend. The assailant heard him and was able to gain information about Hinata, which led him to you all. By the time I received this information, you all were off on your mission. The best I could do was send some shinobi after you to safely retrieve you."

She turned to Hinata, "What did this man say?"

Hinata recounted the strangers words to her.

Tsunade let out another sigh, "In addition to this Hercules character having a brother, this brother of his is some sort of conflicted zealot. Well, I guess that's all I need to know. We'll see what we can find on this brother and his gods, though I doubt we'll find much. For now, the three of you stay here and rest."

As she left, Hinata rested her head against her pillow. It had been quite a mission.

* * *

The burns healed quickly, but Hinata had yet to move on from her mission. It took a while to get used to having her hands back. Her arms felt so small without the large, cumbersome cesti, and at first she had a hard time carrying things, but in time, she was able to get a grip.

What made her think the most was that strange man and his words.  _Discover the power of the Twin Lions Fist._  What had he meant? She was wondering about in the Hyuga Clan's courtyard, while practicing her Gentle Step against a wooden post. She paused from her punching and gazed down at her fists, deep in thought, when she heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, Hinata!"

It was Naruto, with that same cocky grin that she always loved.

"N-Naruto!" exclaimed Hinata as she blushed lightly.

"I hope I'm not interrupting your training," said Naruto as he strolled up to her.

"Oh, it's alright," said Hinata, "I was finishing up, anyway."

"Great," said Naruto, "Hinata, there's something that I've been meaning to ask you. This guy who took the lion heads, you said that he said something about giving you the power of those lion heads. Did you ever find out what that power was?"

"Not yet," said Hinata, "Though I may have an idea."

"Well then try it out," said Naruto.

Staring at the wooden post, Hinata took up an offensive pose that was part of the Gentle Fist. If this idea worked, then it could go along great with the Gentle Fist and activated her Byakugan. She remembered what the man had said.

"Twin Lion Fists!"

Hinata gasped.

Naruto fell back in surprise.

Shrouds of energy had appeared, covering her forearms. They were shaped like her cesti, both in size and in appearance, and their glowed the same blue that her cesti used to glow whenever she wielded them. It was as if she was channeling the spirit of the cesti.

Coming out of her daze, she glanced at the training post, and then thrusted one of her fists forward. The lion head moved with it, and Hinata let out a cry of surprise when the wooden post burst into splinters from the single punch. She turned to Naruto, who was still on the ground, and held out one her lion heads towards him. She concentrated, and and the glowing lion heads vanished from her arms as quickly as they had formed, leaving her hand free to help Naruto up. Never again would the power of the cesti be inconvenient to her. Grinning, Naruto took Hinata's hand and pulled himself up onto his feet.

Naruto was too awed for words, so he just looked at Hinata and grinned. Hinata found herself grinning, too.

* * *

"And that is how I learned the Gentle Step, Twin Lion Fists," finished Hinata many years later in her house. She looked down at her children. Himawari stared up at her mother in silent awe. Bolt looked slightly disappointed.

"So, because that power was given to you by some man, you're unable to teach it to me?" he asked.

Hinata nodded. "I'm sorry, Bolt."

"Man, that sucks!" whined Bolt, "First you can't teach me Byakugan, and now you can't teach me the Twin Lion Fists? How am I supposed to get strong if I don't know any good techniques?"

"Well, Bolt," said Naruto as he walked by, reapplying his bandages on his right hand, "Maybe if you quit pulling all those pranks, I'll show you how to create the Rasengan."

He opened his palm, creating a swirling ball of chakra with expertise.

"Woah," said Bolt, captivated by the ball of Chakra.

Grinning, Naruto left the room, his son in pursuit.

Himawari glanced back up at Hinata.

"Mama?" she asked.

"Yes, Himawari?"

"Whatever happened to that man who gave you the Twin Lion Fists? Did you ever see him again?"

Hinata looked out the window in deep thought.

"I never did see him again," she said, "I guess he went off on his own adventures."

It had been a long time since that stranger had given Hinata the power of the cesti, and so much had happened since then. But every once in a while, she would think about that man who had saved Naruto and herself from the snake tail. She thought of that man, and wondered if he had ever managed to open Pandora's Box, whatever that was. She thought of the rage in that man's voice, and wondered if he had ever found the peace that he was looking for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know how it was looking: Yet another fanfiction that would be left unfinished. (No offense to those of you who have unfinished fanfiction.) But guess what? I FREAKIN' DID IT! WOO-HOO! Over 26,000 words! (And to think how much I drag my feet when writing a two-page outline for college.) Sorry if I'm coming off as a blowhard, but this is such an accomplishment for me. Thank you all for being so darn patient with my work. I'm sure many of you were expecting Hinata and the "mysterious stranger" to duke it out, and to those who did, I hope it wasn't too hard of a letdown. But I feel that conflict resolution doesn't always have to be resolved through conflict. I don't know where I'll go from here. I may or may not write a fanfiction about the mission Naruto and his team went on during the events of Hyuga Cestus. If I do, and I'm not saying for certain that I will, it will be published separately from Hyuga Cestus. At any rate, I hope you all enjoyed my story. Please leave a review if you're up to it. Thank you, and goodnight.


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